PROJECT: CREATIVE CONSULTING + PROGRAM STRATEGY

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) approached Elliot Carlyle in 2020 with a question: “What can we do to foster relationship & connectivity with regional fashion weeks?”

After 8 months of research, development, and strategy, CFDA Connects was born. Elliot Carlyle spearheaded the first-ever Regional Fashion Week Virtual Town Hall hosted by the CFDA. The CFDA welcomed fashion leaders from markets across America to discuss circumstance and opportunity to engage a mutually beneficial relationship.

The result: CFDA Connects

CFDA CONNECTS is an initiative of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Launched in 2021, CFDA CONNECTS recognizes, promotes, and provides business development support to select Regional Fashion Organizations (RFOs), their Fashion Weeks and the Designers based within these key US markets.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:

• Ragtrade Atlanta + Atlanta Fashion Week

• Columbus Fashion Council + Fashion Week Columbus

• Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator, Incorporated

• Fashion Week San Diego

• Indiana Fashion Foundation = Indiana Fashion Week

• INTERFORM (formerly Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week)

• Kansas City Fashion Week + Fashion Arts Fund

• Las Vegas Fashion Council

• Magic City Fashion Week

• Miami Fashion Week

• Nashville Fashion Week

• Orange County Fashion Week

• Philly Fashion Week

• Saint Louis Fashion Fund

• Texas Fashion Industry Initiative + Texas Fashion Week