Banana Republic and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) are combining efforts to support emerging designers based in America who design and produce locally.
The partnership will include two limited-edition collections—one from a New York-based designer and one from a Los Angeles-based designer—to be sold at Banana Republic stores and online. Each collection will be produced in the designers’ respective cities.
For the first collection, Banana Republic will team up with Timo Weiland, an alumnus of the CFDA fashion incubator program. Weiland currently designs his line in New York with factory partners based in the Garment District. The capsule collection will include 12 styles in solids and custom prints, including dresses, tops, skirts and a blazer cut and sewn in New York’s Sunrise Studio, a CFDA Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) grant winner.
The full line will debut at Banana Republic’s Spring 2016 presentation during New York Fashion Week and will launch at retail in March 2016.
As part of Banana Republic’s partnership with the CFDA, FMI will receive a monetary contribution that will be matched by New York City’s financial commitment to the program. FMI, in affiliation with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, aims to nurture, elevate, and preserve garment production in New York City.
In a press release, Banana Republic Creative Director Marissa Webb, said, “We are proud to partner with the CFDA and its network of emerging designers and manufacturers.” She added, “This new program is a great opportunity to provide mentorship and resources to help creative talent grow their business while designing and producing locally.”
