Tom Ford names four new members to CFDA board

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Sep 3, 2019

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, American fashion’s governing body, has announced the nomination of four new members to its board in the latest managerial move by its new chairman Tom Ford.

 
The CFDA “are pleased to welcome four new members to the Board of Directors: Virgil Abloh, Maria Cornejo, Kerby Jean-Raymond, and Carly Cushnie,” the organization said in a release. The four effectively replace Kara Ross, Georgina Chapman, Marcus Wainwright and Mimi So.

Their nominations will be seen as a very deliberate move to diversify the membership of the board, inspired by multiple conversations Ford has had in New York and Los Angeles since becoming president back in June. 

Ross and Chapman were informed of their departure in letters last month, alleviating some considerable PR problems for the CFDA. Ross’ billionaire husband Stephen Ross recently hosted a fundraiser for the re-election of President Donald Trump – hardly a model of inclusion. While Chapman was married to the notorious Harvey Weinstein, to many in the MeToo movement the single greatest sexual predator in a creative industry.
 
The new members join an existing board that includes Tracy Reese (vice chairwoman), Vera Wang (secretary), Stan Herman (treasurer), Stacey Bendet, Dao-Yi Chow, Prabal Gurung, Tommy Hilfiger, Norma Kamali, Michael Kors, Reed Krakoff, Ralph Lauren, Ashley Olsen, Italo Zucchelli, and Diane von Furstenberg.

Ford also created a new advisory board featuring experts in the fields of art, entertainment, media, and contemporary culture in general. Named the Advisory Board to the Chairman of the CFDA it will include beauty executive John Demsey and fashion TV host Nina Garcia, along with model and activist Bethann Hardison, talent agent Bryan Lourd, editors Elizabeth Saltzman, Virginia Smith and Will Welch, and retailer Daniella Vitale.
 
Ford has already acted to reduce the official CFDA calendar to essentially five days starting on Saturday. Even if the season in effect begins on Wednesday with nine runway shows inside Spring Studios, under the auspices of New York Fashion Week, The Shows.