A New Vision, Empowered: Daveed Baptiste Wins the 2025 CFDA/Frazier Foundation Awardk
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By PAGE Editor
Last night in New York City, the fashion industry gathered not just to celebrate a designer, but to champion a future. At a glittering cocktail reception at the transformed W New York – Union Square, the spotlight turned to Daveed Baptiste, named the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Empowered Vision Award. The award, presented by the Andréa W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), represents one of the most significant investments in emerging Black design talent today.
Announced by artistic director Edward Buchanan and supermodel Imaan Hammam, the award provides Baptiste with a formidable arsenal for growth: a $100,000 financial grant coupled with a year-long mentorship program valued at an additional $100,000. This powerful combination of capital and curated guidance is designed to do more than just fund a collection; it aims to build a sustainable, globally competitive brand.
The event underscored the award’s mission, drawing a who’s who of industry insiders and creatives. Notable attendees included designers like Prabal Gurung, Brandon Blackwood, Kim Shui, and Bach Mai, alongside models, artists, and influencers such as Karreuche Tran, Quil Lemons, and Kilo Kish. Their presence signaled a collective endorsement of the award’s critical purpose: to dismantle barriers and forge a more equitable pathway in an industry long criticized for its lack of diversity.
Now in its second year, the Empowered Vision Award is a direct response to that need. Founded in 2024, its inaugural prize went to Rachel Scott of Diotima. The award goes beyond a simple cash prize, offering bespoke mentorship spanning sustainable development, communications, intellectual property, marketing, and finance—the essential, often elusive business knowledge required for longevity.
Baptiste was selected by a committee of industry titans, including Global President of Carolina Herrera Emilie Rubinfeld, stylists Alastair McKimm and Carlos Nazario, Amazon’s Walter Frye, and Emmy-winning costume designer Shiona Turini. This level of oversight ensures the recipient gains not just funding, but access.
"For too long, systemic hurdles have limited the growth and visibility of brilliant Black designers," said a CFDA representative. "The Empowered Vision Award is a tangible commitment to changing that narrative. We are not just awarding potential; we are actively investing in the infrastructure to realize it."
The choice of venue, the W New York – Union Square, itself a $100 million reimagination of a historic landmark, served as a fitting metaphor: honoring legacy while boldly forging a new identity. As the celebration echoed through its Beaux-Arts halls, the message was clear.
Daveed Baptiste’s win is a milestone, but the greater story is the ecosystem the award is building. It’s a story of financial empowerment, expert cultivation, and an unwavering statement that the future of American fashion must be, and is being, built on a foundation of true inclusivity. The industry watches now with expectation, not just to see Baptiste’s next collection, but to witness the growth of a blueprint for generational change.
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