CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists, Demna’s Balenciaga Finale, Plus! Sander Lak’s Return!

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Drumroll, please: the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund‘s 2025 finalists have officially been announced! This year’s group of mentored designers include Bach Mai, Ashlynn Park (Ashlyn), Peter Do, Julian Louie (Aubero), Ashley Moubayed (Don’t Let Disco), Bernard James, Gabe Gordon and Timothy Gibbons (Gabe Gordon), Stephanie Suberville (Heirlome), Meruert Planul-Tolegen (Meruert Tolegen), and Jamie Okuma. As announced by the CFDA, the group’s winner will be awarded with $300,000, while two runner-up designers will receive $100,000, determined by it’s stat-studded selection committee of Anna Wintour, Aurora James, Eva Chen, Mark Holgate, Nicole Phelps, Paloma Elsesser, Rickie De Sole, Roopal Patel, Steven Kolb, Thom Browne, and Zac Posen. The ten designers will also participate in Nordstrom’s Secure the SPACE Challenge, whose winner’s collection (to be announced on June 12) will be carried in Nordstrom stores in the future. The final Fund winner will be announced on November 18, 2025…so, stay tuned this fall!

Demna’s Last Balenciaga RTW Honors His Style Signatures And Britney Spears

As Demna begins his next chapter at Gucci, the last collection he designed for Balenciaga has been unveiled. The designer’s Spring 2026 collection features a combination of pieces across 35 collections from his decade at the French house, plus new designs and items from his own wardrobe. Standouts in the mix include oversized parkas, stretchy leggings, sharp pumps, sweeping maxi and miniskirts, and a variety of patterned and textured shoulder bags and totes—plus his signature exaggerated eyewear. The collection also includes a limited-edition collaboration with none other than Britney Spears, featuring T-shirts, zip-up hoodies, hats, and silk twill flags printed with Britney’s autograph and archival photos by Steven Klein and Rankin. Launching June 3, the capsule is also accompanied by Britney’s own musical playlist—which can be viewed at the Balenciaga Music Hub on Balenciaga.com—plus the Balenciaga composer BFRND’s new Britney4ever EP, featuring his remixes of “Gimme More” and “Oops!… I Did It Again.” However, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Demna’s Balenciaga, as his Fall ’25 couture collection will be shown at Haute Couture Week in July.

“It is the end of a wonderful era that I wanted to capture and celebrate by creating the Balenciaga “archetypes”— the people, the silhouettes, the vibes and the ideas that have all been fundamental in my work for this amazing house,” Demna said in a statement. “Moving on to the next chapter, this is my tribute to the creative research and work that me and my teams have done for the past 10 years. It is also my love letter to the most loyal and fashion forward audience that we have built around the house and connected with in this creative process. Last but not least, in the days leading up to my last couture show for the house, there will be Balenciaga by Demna, a resumé exhibition curated by me that will showcase some of the most important elements that define my creative vision for this house developed and refined over the last decade. Thank you and love forever.”

All images: Courtesy of Balenciaga

Tommy Hilfiger Kickstarts His F1 The Movie Partnership With Damson Idris

Tommy Hilfiger’s latest collaboration is in high gear! The designer has just launched a new partnership with F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. Idris, who’s also a Hilfiger ambassador, stars in both the drama and Hilfiger’s new campaign for the designer’s “motorcore”-coded APXGP Collection. The line features an assortment of Hilfiger’s classic pieces elevated with racing-inspired details, seen across a motorcycle jacket, mechanic shirts, caps, a polo, a quilted jacket, and denim, all inspired by both Hilfiger’s longtime love for Formula 1 racing and the film’s dynamic racing attire. The full collection can be discovered now on Tommy.com and the brand’s international stores. However, this isn’t the end of Hilfiger’s racing collaborations this year! The designer’s also just announced he’s entered a multi-year partnership with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team as its official lifestyle sponsor and apparel partner.

“Since I was a kid peeking through the fences at Watkins Glen racetrack, Formula 1 has been legendary to me,” Hilfiger said in a statement. “As F1 has opened its doors to new worlds like entertainment and fashion, the sport has become a cultural phenomenon. Building on almost 40 years of infusing the colors, logos and spirit of motorsport into our collections, we’re thrilled to join Hollywood at the racetrack by partnering with F1 The Movie. This film captures the cultural shift, setting a benchmark in what we call ‘fashiontainment’, where the future is being shaped. It’s a bold new chapter, and we’re setting the pace for what comes next.”

Sies Marjan’s Sander Lak Will Launch His New Brand At PFW Men’s

Sander Lak is back! The beloved designer is debuting his new unisex label, Sanderlak, through private appointments at Paris Fashion Week Men’s later this month. Inspired by Lak’s worldly experiences and upbringing, his label’s upcoming collections will be influenced by a new location each season. The exciting news marks Lak’s return to fashion following the 2020 closure of his former label Sies Marjan—a colorful editor favorite on the New York style scene.

Paige DeSorbo Launches Sleepwear Brand Daphne

Paige DeSorbo‘s latest project is ready for bed! The author, podcast host, and Summer House star is launching her own brand, Daphne, which specializes in fashion-forward sleepwear. The brand’s debut collection features 12 pieces spanning collared shirts, a T-shirt, dresses, shorts, and more, retailing from $58 to $120—with prices varying from $120 to $230 for sets. On the business side, the label’s crafted its line with Concept Brands, and tapped fashion strategist Kyle DeFord as its general manager. You can shop DeSorbo’s debut collection when it launches on DaphneTheLabel.com.

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