NEXT GEN: The PVH Foundation is looking forward. The philanthropic arm of PVH Corp. on Thursday launched Runway Ahead, an initiative to give the next generation of fashion talent a leg up.
To jump-start things, PVH is committing $10 million to the program through 2030 to help emerging talents with the funding, mentorship and experience they need to build fashion careers.
, chief executive officer of the fashion company, said: “As stewards of two of the most iconic brands in the industry, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, we have a responsibility to create opportunities for emerging talent. Runway Ahead is our $10 million investment in the next generation — unlocking access and creating pathways for future fashion leaders to build careers and shape what comes next.”
The program is being launched with two cornerstone partnerships: Harlem’s Fashion Row/Icon 360 and the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Brandice Daniel, founder of Icon360 and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, said: “Partnering with the PVH Foundation is about more than support; it’s about creating real opportunity for emerging designers at a critical point in their journey. Through this foundation, we’re opening doors to funding, mentorship and the kind of visibility that can truly shift a career. It’s about giving these creatives the tools and access they need to bring their vision to life on one of fashion’s most influential stages.”
PVH’s foundation recently revealed an exclusive fellowship program with Harlem’s Fashion Row, which will choose designers to receive grants to help make and present their collections. Those designers will then show their lines at the Harlem’s Fashion Row Fashion Show and Style Awards, held during New York Fashion Week.
The CFDA will award three scholarships to design students whose work “explores how fashion carries meaning across time — through construction, narrative and responsibility,” according to a statement on the initiative. Recipients will also be able to tap into the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger archives to “better understand the evolution of design and storytelling.”
Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, said: “These scholarships are about giving talented students the space to grow, experiment, and define their voice. With the support of the PVH Foundation, we’re helping empower the next generation of designers to approach fashion with both creativity and purpose.”
