The 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Are Here
The CFDA and Vogue have announced the ten finalists for the 2026 Fashion Fund. Among those competing are Aisling Camps, Amir Taghi, Terrence Zhou of Bad Binch Tongtong, Emily Dawn Long, Jamie Haller, Julia Ferentinos of Juju Vera, Zane Li of LII, George Inaki of Milamore, Claire Sullivan of Miss Claire Sullivan, and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen. Notably, Zane Li of LII is also currently a 2026 LVMH Prize finalist. The winner receives $300,000 and two runners-up each take home $100,000. Designer presentations begin June 10, with the winner announced at a gala dinner in New York on October 20. New to the selection committee this year are American Vogue’s Head of Editorial, Chloe Malle, Bloomingdale’s chief merchant Denise Magid, Nordstrom’s Yumi Shin, and designer Christopher John Rogers. [Vogue]
The Haute Couture Calendar Is Out
Paris Haute Couture Week runs July 6 to 9, and this season’s provisional calendar has a few notable debuts worth marking. Pierpaolo Piccioli makes his couture debut for Balenciaga on July 8 at 11:30 a.m., and Duran Lantink presents his first couture collection as creative director of Jean Paul Gaultier that same afternoon at 5:30 p.m. Also, making a Paris couture debut is Indian couturier Manish Malhotra, best known as the go-to for Bollywood stars and stellar looks at recent Met Galas, closing the third day with an 8 p.m. show on July 8. Standing Ground, the London-based label of Irish designer Michael Stewart that won the Savoir-Faire Prize at the 2024 LVMH Prize, joins the official schedule for the first time, showing at 6:30 p.m. on the opening Monday. Calendar cornerstones Dior, Chanel, Armani Privé, and Elie Saab hold their usual slots. Schiaparelli opens the week on July 6 and veteran couturier Adeline André closes the week. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s inaugural couture show for Fendi takes place on the evening of July 9 in Rome. [WWD]
Alexander McQueen Has a New CEO
Kering has appointed Gianfranco D’Attis as chief executive of Alexander McQueen, effective June 3. D’Attis most recently served as CEO of the Prada and previously held senior roles at LVMH and Richemont. He comes into the role at a difficult moment for the house, revenue has fallen around 60 percent over the past three years, triggering a restructuring that has involved significant job cuts. Outgoing CEO Gianfilippo Testa, who has led the brand since 2022, will leave Kering later this year. D’Attis reports directly to Kering CEO Luca de Meo and will be based in London. “Alexander McQueen is entering a new phase focused on strengthening its distinctive positioning, supported by a leaner and more disciplined model,” Kering said. Creative director Seán McGirr, who took over from Sarah Burton in 2023, remains in post. [Reuters]
OTB Takes Full Control of Viktor and Rolf
OTB, the Italian fashion group founded by Renzo Rosso, has raised its stake in Viktor & Rolf to 100 percent. The group first acquired 51 percent of the house in 2008 and increased that to 70 percent in 2019. Founding designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, who established the brand in 1993, will stay on as creative directors for a further five years. Financial details were not disclosed. “Viktor and Rolf are two of the most visionary and influential designers in contemporary fashion,” Rosso said. “With this further step, we are strengthening even more our bond with a maison that continues to stand out for its creativity, artistic research and cultural relevance.” OTB’s portfolio also includes Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, and Marni, as well as a stake in Amiri. [WWD]
Carré Otis Files Criminal Complaint in France Against Former Elite Agency President Gérald Marie
Model Alliance board member Carré Otis has filed a criminal complaint in France against Gérald Marie, former president of Elite Model Management Europe, for rapes and sexual assaults she says she endured when she was a minor. The filing follows a landmark May 7 ruling by France’s Cour de cassation that extended the statute of limitations for child sex abuse survivors, making it possible for Otis and others to pursue cases that had previously been dismissed on those grounds. In 2021, Otis was among a group of survivors who came forward with allegations against Marie, but their claims were blocked by the existing limitations at the time. “As more information comes to light about the web of systemic abuses in the modeling industry, including connections between my abuser and Jeffrey Epstein, I remain committed to seeking justice and accountability,” Otis said. “To any fellow survivors out there, please know that you are not alone. If you choose to come forward, there is a community here to support you.” The complaint was filed with the support of child protection organization Innocence in Danger. [franceinfo]
Jac Monika’s Documentary White Belt Premieres at Tribeca
White Belt, a documentary following Monika “Jac” Jagaciak in the months before her first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament, premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival this week. Directed by her husband Branislav Jankić and produced by Goran Macura, former photo director at V Magazine, the film traces Jac’s journey from modelling to martial arts, told in her own voice through unguarded interviews shot across competition days, travel, and immigration appointments. Discovered at 13, Jac went on to work with Peter Lindbergh, front campaigns for Chanel, Dior, Prada, Versace, and Calvin Klein, and walk as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. She trained for eight months under three-time world champion Gregor Gracie in preparation for the tournament. “It’s about choosing to start from zero,” Jankić says of the film. “To be nobody again.”
The Supermodel Project Brings the Industry to Coney Island for World Oceans Day
On June 6, The Supermodel Project hosts its annual World Oceans Day Model Beach Cleanup at Coney Island in Brooklyn, with 172 models and industry figures confirmed to attend. The event is held in partnership with Peace Boat, the New York Aquarium, and the United Nations World Oceans Day initiative. Confirmed attendees include Achok Majak, Angela Lindvall, Robyn Lawley, and Tianna St. Louis, alongside agents, casting directors, photographers, and creatives from across the New York fashion community. “Fashion has enormous cultural visibility,” says founder Greg Chan. “We wanted to create something that channels that visibility into real-world action.”
Industry Access: Nick Knight and Tom Wandrag Part 2
For the second installment of Models.com’s Industry Access conversation with SHOWstudio founder Nick Knight, and A New Plane’s Tom Wandrag, the discussion turns from AI’s possibilities to the deeper questions surrounding labor, beauty, ownership, and the future of fashion itself. Together with Models.com Editorial Director Irene Ojo-Felix, Knight and Wandrag examine whether AI can help create a better future for creatives and models or whether it risks accelerating the very forces that have already flattened culture, creativity, and opportunity. To view the complete interview click here.
Agata Serge On the Urge to Create and Trusting Your Instincts
It feels as though nothing else matters and the world pauses for a moment,” says photographer Agata Serge on the feeling of stepping onto set. She launched her book, The Fashion Flip Book, and has worked with top names like Anja Rubik and Milla Jovovich, and shot for Numéro France, Vogue Netherlands, and W Magazine China, her photography career is one to watch. In our latest Behind the image interview, she opens up about discovering fashion, what inspires her beyond the industry, and discovering her visual language. Read the full story here.
MDC Selects: These Rookies Are Into Surf Breaks and Solo Travels
These rookies are chasing surf breaks and embracing solo adventures. Meet four new faces from around the world as they share where they’re from, how they got discovered, and the passions that shape them beyond modeling. Find out whose favorite film is Nanny McPhee, who learned self-discipline at an early age, and more by clicking the link here.
