CFDA

After an almost two year COVID hiatus, Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis returns to the 92nd Street Y stage with some of the hottest and buzzworthy designers working today: Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, Brandon Maxwell.

In this second release of conversations, Mallis curates talks with three fashion icons who work tirelessly behind the scenes — and in front of them — to keep the American fashion industry running: the current and former leaders of the CFDA.

It was a Zoom session not to be missed last Thursday when Fashion Group International hosted the ever-engaging Simon Doonan interviewing fashion icon Fern Mallis about her illustrious career in fashion and fundraising. Fern is most proud of the fundraising component of her work, both at DIFFA and at CDFA (Council for Fashion Designers of America), where, as newly elected executive director, she first raised $5 million from a tiny office at 1412 Broadway. “I had little confide

When the Look Online's Laurel Marcus saw that The Fashion Group International was sponsoring a conversation featuring Fern Mallis and Simon Doonan, she naturally thought that the former CFDA Executive Director and host of the 92nd Street Y “Fashion Icons” series would be interviewing the former Barney's Creative Director and “Making It” judge. But, the tables were turned in this talk to benefit the Fashion Group Foundation to promote Mallis’s “ Fashion Icons: The Archive ” on

Fern Mallis has been able to reinvent herself and impressively build on her decades-long fashion industry career. With demand for these engaging talks high, the CFDA’s former Executive Director is releasing the best of the best of them via Fashion Icons: The Archive on YouTube. Click Here

New York, May 2021 – Fern Mallis, the fashion industry doyenne most recognized as the founder of New York Fashion Week, is continuing to release new and exclusive content on her digital platform Fashion Icons: The Archive ( a playlist available on the 92Y YouTube ), in collaboration with the 92Y. Since premiering in February 2021 The Archive has become the exclusive digital destination for Mallis’ popular and often sold-out conversation series, Fashion Icons with Fern Malli

Join in the celebration of the Tommy Hilfiger brand's 35th Anniversary, and the 70th birthday of its founder, with the latest Fashion Icons Edit: TH 35 . The three episode series will be featured all March on the Tommy Hilfiger YouTube channel, along with other never before seen videos and virtual experiences. Join in the celebration of TH 35 on the Tommy Hilfiger YouTube channel Click here to watch Fashion Icons: The Archive TH 35

Jessica McClintock , the San Francisco-based designer who dressed legions of prom-goers, has died at the age of 90. Having worked with McClintock in organizing the West Coast edition of the CFDA’s charitable “Seventh on Sale” in the early 1990s, Fern Mallis said her support, as well as the support of executives at Gap Inc. and other San Francisco-based companies, helped to raise millions of dollars. Mallis said, “She was the quintessential San Francisco designer who never se

In celebration of Women's History Month, the latest issue of Musings features Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis' interview with Bethann Hardison, a woman who has played every role in the industry: model, sales person, power agent, and the list goes on... Musings by Ginger Finds is a newsletter from the cultural scouts of the Ginger Finds Talent Lab, the preeminent placement firm for Fashion and Luxury executives globally. Each month, Ginger Puglia shares her latest takes on wh

Press Release NEW YORK, MARCH 2021 – Fern Mallis , the fashion industry doyenne most recognized as the founder of New York Fashion Week, is continuing to release new and exclusive content on her digital platform ( available on YouTube ) , in collaboration with the 92Y. Since premiering in February 2021 The Archive has become the exclusive digital destination for Mallis’ popular and often sold-out conversation series, . In just a month, has garnered thousands of views and h

1983 was a major year for Willi Smith . The New York City-based designer won the Coty American Fashion Critics Award for Womenswear— only the second Black designer to do so. When he was first nominated in 1967, Smith was the youngest designer ever in the running for the prestigious title. His brand, WilliWear, is credited as the pioneer to the streetwear movement we know today. Willi Smith: Street Couture , a retrospective exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt museum, explores the

Over the past decade, no topic has been off-limits as Fern Mallis conducted in-depth interviews with fashion’s most legendary at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. Video archives from “Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis” are now available on the 92Y YouTube channel . This month the channel highlights conversations with designers who “give a damn” including Christian Siriano for believing in size inclusivity and diversity, Eileen Fisher for sustainability, and Bethann Hardison

The life and times of Elie Tahari are coming to the big screen. The fashion designer will be the subject of a feature documentary to be released on Amazon Prime Video in March. The film is produced and directed by David Serero, an actor, director, producer and opera singer. The film, entitled “The United States of Elie Tahari” traces Tahari’s life from his upbringing in Israel, where he lived in a refugee camp, to his arrival in New York in 1971 — unable to speak English a

If you weren’t able to attend one of the interview series hosted by Fashion’s Godmother Fern Mallis at NY 92Y, she’s finally bringing the conversations to a screen near you. Mallis has launched Fashion Icons: The Archive , a dedicated channel featuring her chats with the most important names in the industry. “This has been a dream of mine to share these interviews digitally, for many years,” Mallis says. “People are always asking me if they could watch replays of these conve

IT’S ALL CONTENT: As the coronavirus crisis heads toward the one-year mark in the U.S., millions continue to seek out at-home activities. Fern Mallis is trying to help some occupy their time by retooling her 92nd Street Y talks with a focus on the digital. As of Feb. 10, “Fashion Icons: The Archive” will be available and will showcase stories from the notable personalities who have participated in “Fashion Icons With Fern Mallis .” It will make its debut as a playlist on th

Press Release NEW YORK, February 2021 -- Fern Mallis, the Fashion industry doyenne most recognized as the founder of New York Fashion Week, is embarking on the next chapter of her popular 92 nd Street Y conversation series Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis : the launch of an always-on digital platform, Fashion Icons: The Archive ( watch the playlist starting February 10, 2021 ) , to share the intimate and behind the scenes stories of many of the fashion industry’s pioneers and

UP, UP AND AWAY: Sustainable fashion will be in the spotlight, when Goodwill New York New Jersey hold a virtual gala on Wednesday. Model, activist and actress Amber Valletta will cohost the “Goodwill Evening of Treasures” event with Fern Mallis. Goodwill NYNJ’s former director and vice chairman Don M. Wilson 3rd will be honored at the event. Thrifting, upcycling and donating clothes for resale through organizations like Goodwill of New York New Jersey have become more

Fern Mallis, along with Amber Valletta, is hosting a virtual evening celebrating the power of work and sustainable fashion. Click For More

Fern Mallis is honored to be included in Vogue.com's series on the fashion industry's response to the AIDS crisis. She was also included in the formation of ACT- UP, when 7th on Sale was created to raise much-needed funds. Fern became the Executive Director of CFDA on the heels of the great success of that event, which had left the staff of 1-2 depleted. Click For More

Bob Morris writes, Feeling Socially Awkward? Even Extroverts Are a Little Rusty. Months of limited mingling has made even extremely outgoing people uncomfortable socializing, “like awkward eighth graders attending a school dance for the first time.” Fern Mallis comments “We’ve lost the ability to talk about a lot of things, because we aren’t doing a lot of things." Click For More