The Council of Fashion Designers of America has unfurled two new initiatives designed to strengthen American fashion manufacturing, drive innovation, support workforce development, and promote economic growth in key apparel-producing regions across the country.
The CFDA x NY Forward Grant Fund, developed with funding from both the New York State Department of State and Ralph Lauren Corp., will provide partially matching grants to designers and manufacturers based in New York City’s Garment District.
The U.S. Fashion Manufacturing Fund, created with Ralph Lauren as founding partner, will run from 2027 through 2029 and will extend grant funding for innovation and workforce development beyond New York to key regions across the country, including California, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Florida and others. This program will provide partially matching grants to manufacturers investing in advanced machinery, software, and workforce training to strengthen skills and attract talent into garment production, covering 80 percent with recipients contributing the remaining 20 percent.
There’s no question that apparel and textile output and jobs in the U.S. are smaller than in previous decades, but these programs seek to make U.S. fashion manufacturing more viable — tapping into areas of the industry that are innovating and growing.
Both programs aim to help companies to modernize equipment, expand services and train workers, building the capacity and resilience of American fashion manufacturing.
These programs build on the success of the CFDA’s Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI), launched in 2013 in affiliation with the New York City Economic Development Corp. (NYCEDC), Andrew Rosen, and with the long-term support of Ralph Lauren, among others. To date, Ralph Lauren has contributed $2 million as FMI’s premier underwriter, enabling grants to 54 factories and positively impacting more than 2,000 jobs.
“Strengthening American manufacturing to ensure designers have local partners has long been at the core of CFDA’s mission,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive officer and president of the CFDA. “We are proud to extend our decade-plus work with Ralph Lauren Corp. and expand to a national level while also continuing our local NYC investments alongside our first-ever partnership with the New York State Department of State.”
In tandem, these new grant programs mark a landmark commitment: Sustaining New York’s Garment District while bolstering U.S. manufacturing nationwide — ensuring that American fashion continues to lead globally through innovation, craftsmanship and community.
“Our expanded partnership with the CFDA reflects Ralph Lauren’s enduring commitment to advancing innovation and supporting American fashion,” said Katie Ioanilli, chief global impact and communications officer, Ralph Lauren Corp. “This is not only an investment in our industry — it’s an investment in a vital part of American culture that we share with the world.”
The CFDA x NY Forward Grant Fund program provides grants in New York City Garment District-based fashion manufacturers as well as designers producing in-house. Two rounds of funding will be distributed, one in 2026 and another in 2027, empowering businesses to invest in innovation, expand production capacity, and preserve local jobs, contributing to the revitalization of this commercial hub. In each round, one manufacturer recipient will also receive the Ralph Lauren Manufacturing Award, providing the full grant amount in recognition of the most innovative approach to advancing their business.
In 2024, New York State’s fashion industry was said to be responsible for approximately $25 billion in wages. New York City generated $20 billion in wages per year through the fashion sector. New York State is home to 315,000 fashion jobs, with 204,000 based in New York City.
When asked whether Ralph Lauren was looking to bring more production back to the U.S., the company said, “We continue to explore and build additional opportunities to manufacture our products in the U.S. We value the wide range of production solutions that U.S. manufacturers can offer, from heritage craftsmanship to high-tech manufacturing like 3D printing. However, increasing domestic manufacturing is a complex process that requires ongoing collaboration across our sector, from how we collectively source raw materials to increasing existing domestic factory capacity to talent availability.”
As for how much manufacturing Ralph Lauren currently does in the U.S., the company said, “Working with factories across the country, we produce hundreds of thousands of products across all of our brands in the U.S.”
Jessica Chastain
Stephane Feugere/WWD
As the Official Outfitter of Team USA, Ralph Lauren manufactures the official parade ceremony uniforms in the U.S., which has benefited many American manufacturers. For the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, Ralph Lauren worked with many partners across the U.S. to produce Team USA’s uniform for the opening and closing ceremonies.
