It’s a good year to be designer Zane Li: In April, he won the Fashion Trust US Ready-to-Wear Award, and five months later, he took home the Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. (He’s also a 2026 CFDA Awards nominee for Google American Emerging Designer of the Year.)
On Tuesday, he was crowned the winner of the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. He won a $300,000 grand prize, and will receive business mentorships from industry leaders. The Chongqing-born, New York-based designer is known for his minimalist approach to technical fashion and avant-garde designs.
This year’s two runners-up are Aisling Camps and Emily Dawn Long. Each will receive $100,000 and further mentorship opportunities.
“Each of this year’s finalists bring a distinct point of view that only they could… Their true individuality is what makes American fashion so compelling and supporting their future is the responsibility of our industry… I look forward to seeing what they do nex,” said Thom Browne, chairman of the CFDA, in a press statement.
Chloe Malle, head of Editorial Content at Vogue, added, “At a time when it can feel easier to follow the crowd, these designers are doing anything but. It’s been such a joy getting to know them, and I’m thrilled to celebrate our winners and see what all ten designers dream up next.”
The remaining finalists of this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund are Amir Taghi, Terrence Zhou of Bad Binch Tongtong, Jamie Haller, Julia Ferentinos of Juju Vera, George Inaki of Milamore, Claire Sullivan of Miss Claire Sullivan and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen.
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