TOM FORD STEPS DOWN FROM CFDA CHAIR

American designer Tom Ford has finished his term as chairperson of The Council Of Fashion Designers Of America, Inc. (CFDA). He held the position for three years, from June 2019 to May 2022: Traditionally a two-year term, Ford extended his role for an extra year. Organization CEO Steven Kolb will assume the duties of interim chair through the end of this year. The CFDA board’s current officers – vice-chair Tracy Reese, secretary Vera Wang, and treasurer Stan Herman – will remain in place for the remainder of the year, and unanimously elected Tory Burch, Thom Browne, and Aurora James to the board, effective June 1st. The board will vote on a new chairperson this fall, to start in January, aligning with CFDA’s fiscal calendar.

In a statement provided by the CFDA, Ford said, “On May 31st,  I will be ending my three-year term as Chairman of the CFDA. When I began my role as Chairman in June of 2019, my goal was to help the American Fashion Industry become more globally recognized for its talent and importance.  I could not have imagined the extraordinary circumstances that both the industry and the world would have to navigate – that a pandemic would shut the world down and change the course of our lives and of our businesses forever. The pandemic challenged all of us to think about our businesses in new ways – from the design process and production, to how we reach and speak to our customers. We were forced to come up with creative new ways to run our companies. Some may think that fashion is just about making beautiful clothes and accessories or having runway shows, dressing celebrities, and throwing parties without considering the incredible amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, or that the fashion industry is a $3 trillion industry that employs millions of individuals. As Chairman of the CFDA, I have had the privilege to experience first-hand the remarkable determination and optimism that drives our industry. I am honored to have been able to support the truly incredible talent in the American fashion industry for these past three years, and I look forward to continuing in my role on the CFDA Board.”

During his term, Ford initiated key actions on behalf of the CFDA, including diversifying the Board of Directors and organization membership, beginning new programs to bring much-needed diversity, equity, and inclusion to the fashion industry (including CFDA IMPACT to identify, connect and support thousands of talents through diversity, equity, and inclusion work, and partnering with brands to provide access to hundreds of rewarding jobs, opportunities, and mentorships), doubling the CFDAs scholarship fund to $500,000, kicking off A Common Thread in collaboration with Vogue (which distributed over $5 million in relief aid to fashion businesses during the first two years of the pandemic), as well as making changes to the New York Fashion Week schedule and American collections calendar, and launching the CFDA’s digital platform, Runway 360.

“The CFDA and its Board of Directors thank Tom Ford for his leadership working on behalf of the American fashion industry during an unprecedented time,” says Kolb. “Tom initiated several key initiatives, which the CFDA remains firmly committed to.”

Historically, the chairperson role has been a two to four year term; the exceptions being Stan Herman (15 years) and Diane von Furstenberg (13 years), and Norman Norell (eight years).