Just before New York Fashion Week officially opened, Harlem’s Fashion Row gave Black fashion designers the first word. On Tuesday, September 8, the organization held its 19th annual Fashion Show and Style Awards at The Glasshouse in New York, and one emerging designer walked out with a $100,000 grant to grow her brand.

The night had celebrities and red carpet looks, but the more useful story is about money, mentorship and what happens to these designers after the lights go down. Here is what happened, why the prize matters, and how you can support Black designers with more than a double tap.

Inside Harlem’s Fashion Row’s 19th Show and Style Awards

Founder Brandice Daniel started Harlem’s Fashion Row in 2007, and this year’s invitation only show carried the theme “Peace by Piece,” a nod to the relationships that built its 19 year run, according to the organization’s official announcement. Three designers from the new Runway Ahead Designer Fellowship showed Spring 2027 collections: Waina Chancy of Atelier Ndigo, known for sculptural womenswear; Harlem’s own Lamin “Rey” Jaiteh, who designs luxury menswear and womenswear; and Chuks Collins, whose label blends African heritage with contemporary tailoring.

Chancy took the $100,000 prize. Her collection, done in indigo and white with pieces that moved like water, paid homage to Haiti and to her mother, according to HelloBeautiful’s recap of the night. Collins presented a collection in orange, blue, cream and olive, and Jaiteh sent out sharp tailoring in deep indigo denim.

The Style Awards honored Erykah Badu with the Fashion Icon Award, Brandon Blackwood as Designer of the Year, Jahleel Weaver as Stylist of the Year, Recho Omondi as Editor of the Year, and Wisdom Kaye with the Virgil Abloh Award presented by LVMH, according to HelloBeautiful’s rundown of this year’s honorees. Daniel told the room there is nothing the community cannot do once it decides to do it together.

A Name Every Black Fashion Lover Should Know

One award deserves a history lesson. Audrey Smaltz received the Ann Lowe Maverick Award, named for a designer the industry nearly erased. Lowe, who learned dressmaking from her mother and grandmother in Alabama, designed the ivory silk taffeta gown Jacqueline Bouvier wore to marry John F. Kennedy in 1953. The New York Times coverage of that wedding left out her name. By 1950 she was running her own salon on Madison Avenue, and her work is now held by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, according to the National Archives’ account of her career.

That history is the reason Harlem’s Fashion Row exists. Black designers have long created the looks that define American style while someone else got the credit, the capital or the shelf space.

Why the Runway Ahead Fellowship Matters for Black Fashion Designers

Talent has never been the gap. Money is. That is why the $100,000 prize is worth paying attention to. The PVH Foundation, the charitable arm of the company behind Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, announced Runway Ahead on April 30, 2026, as a $10 million commitment through 2030. Through Harlem’s Fashion Row, three emerging designers receive grants to build a collection, debut it during Fashion Week, and get structured mentorship from PVH staff in design development, branding and business strategy.

The same initiative funds three scholarships through the Council of Fashion Designers of America for design students in their senior undergraduate year or first year of graduate school at U.S. colleges. Winners get a year of study support, access to the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger archives, and ongoing mentorship.

Harlem’s Fashion Row has done this before. In 2020, its nonprofit arm ICON360 partnered with the CFDA and Vogue’s A Common Thread to distribute a $1 million grant to 27 designers of color, including Sergio Hudson and Fe Noel. Daniel said at the time that she created ICON360 to open funding options for underrepresented designers.

How to Support Black Fashion Designers This Season

Follow the Fellows by Name

Look up Atelier Ndigo, Rey Jaiteh and Chuks Collins, follow them, and join their mailing lists. Emerging labels live or die on early customers and word of mouth, and a winning collection only matters if someone buys it when it reaches the market.

Watch the Official Calendar

New York Fashion Week runs September 10 to 15. The CFDA’s preliminary schedule lists 70 shows and presentations, with Black designers including LaQuan Smith and Public School New York on the lineup. You may not get a seat at the shows, but you can follow the collections online and shop them when they reach the market.

Buy Fewer, Better Pieces

You do not need a runway budget. One well made piece from a Black designer, bought at full price, does more for that business than a dozen likes. The same goes for beauty, where our guide to Black owned beauty brands is a good place to start.

If You Are the Designer

Keep an eye on Harlem’s Fashion Row and the CFDA for the next Runway Ahead cycle, and share the CFDA scholarship with any design student you know. For the business side, BCN’s roundup of small business grants for Black founders lists other funding worth applying for.

Ann Lowe made the wedding gown for a future first lady and did not get her name in the paper. Seventy three years later, a Black designer’s name is on the check. Progress looks like that, and it lasts only if the rest of us keep buying, following and speaking the names out loud.