Raisefashion
RAISEfashion Inc. is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers pro-bono advisory services, mentorship, grants, and NYFW visibility to independent BIPOC fashion designers and students from underrepresented communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Raisefashion does
RAISEfashion Inc. (EIN 85-2172543) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in New York in July 2020 by eight women, operating from New York State with a staff of 1–10. Its mission is to break down barriers for independent designers and students from communities historically excluded from the fashion industry by providing pro-bono advisory services, mentorship, grants, and market visibility. The organization runs four primary programs: the RAISEfashion Masterclass (an eight-week professional development curriculum covering business strategy, branding, and financial literacy), the invitation-only RAISECollective (pro-bono advisory for high-potential designers), and the Summer Internship Program, supplemented by the Designer Production Fund (Made Together) backed by J.Crew Group. Event-based offerings include THE GALLERY NYFW showcase and The Moment NYFW Campaign with Fluency.
Raisefashion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Raisefashion
- Legal name
- RAISEfashion Inc.
- Website
- https://raisefashionnow.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RAISEfashion Inc. is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers pro-bono advisory services, mentorship, grants, and NYFW visibility to independent BIPOC fashion designers and students from underrepresented communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Raisefashion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fashion Industry Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
Keywords
Where Raisefashion is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Raisefashion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, RAISEfashion operates primarily through donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from partners like Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation (over $1.125 million distributed in grants). The organization also accepts quarterly and annual donations through its website for the Designer Production Fund.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Raisefashion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RAISEfashion provides pro-bono advisory services, mentorship, educational programming, and grant funding to Black-owned brands and independent designers from underrepresented communities in the fashion industry. Its core offerings are delivered through structured programs including the Masterclass, RAISECollective, Summer Internship Program, and the Designer Production Fund.
Product overview
RAISEfashion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a suite of programs to support independent designers and students from communities historically excluded from the fashion industry. The core offerings include the RAISEfashion Masterclass (an eight-week professional development program), the RAISE Collective (an invitation-only advisory program), and the Summer Internship Program. Supporting programs include the Designer Production Fund (Made Together), the RAISEfashion x ARF Internship partnership with HBCU students, and the BoF x RAISEfashion Partnership providing BoF membership access. Event-based offerings include The Moment NYFW Campaign (a digital-first campaign with Fluency bringing designers to Times Square) and THE GALLERY NYFW Event. All programs are united by the organization's mission to provide pro-bono advisory services, network access, and sustainable pathways for emerging designers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RAISEfashion Masterclass: A professional development program providing expert-led sessions on business strategies, branding, financial literacy, and networking for independent designers.
- RAISECollective
- RAISEfashion x ARF Internship
- RAISEfashion Designer Production Fund
Products and services
- Masterclass
- RAISECollective
- Summer Internship Program
- Designer Production Fund
Companies that use Raisefashion
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Raisefashion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Raisefashion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.
- Saks Fifth Avenue / Saks GlobalcoreSaks Fifth Avenue Foundation partnership supporting RAISEfashion's mission; Saks Foundation distributed over $1.125 million in grants and launched new partnership with RAISEfashion focusing on mental health resources for underserved communities.
- J.Crew GroupcoreCollaboration on RAISEfashion Designer Production Fund supporting the future of independent fashion. J.Crew Group celebrates the RAISEfashion Masterclass and supports production needs for independent designers.
- Business of Fashion (BoF)coreBoF provides complimentary 12-month BoF Professional memberships and 12-month BoF Careers memberships to RAISEfashion advisees. Collaborates on designing workshops exclusively for the RAISEfashion community.
- FluencyflagshipPartnership for The Moment NYFW campaign - a digital-first initiative bringing emerging designers to Times Square through large-scale video and photography. Campaign made designers' collections shoppable nationwide.
- LVMHmajorLuxury conglomerate listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion's mission.
- Bergdorf GoodmanmajorLuxury department store listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion.
- Neiman MarcusmajorLuxury department store listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion.
- Bloomingdale'smajorDepartment store listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion.
- Tory BurchmajorFashion brand listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion.
- CartiermajorLuxury jewelry brand (Richemont) listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion.
- H&MmajorGlobal fashion retailer listed as partner supporting RAISEfashion.
- Antiracism Fund (ARF)corePartnership to launch 2025 comprehensive 10-week professional development program engaging HBCUs to create meaningful internship opportunities for students pursuing fashion careers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Raisefashion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black in Fashion Council: Black in Fashion Council is an industry coalition advancing representation of Black talent across the fashion ecosystem through corporate accountability, designer support, and educational programming — comparable in mission and stakeholder base to RAISEfashion.
- Fifteen Percent Pledge: Fifteen Percent Pledge is a nonprofit that pushes major retailers to commit 15% of shelf space to Black-owned brands and supports those brands with retail access — overlapping with RAISEfashion on BIPOC brand advancement and retail partnership facilitation.
- Fashion for All Foundation: Fashion for All Foundation is a nonprofit focused on inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry through scholarships, mentorship, and runway programming — directly comparable pro-bono designer-support mission.
- Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA): CFDA is the leading American fashion industry trade organization supporting designers via education, grants (CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund), and NYFW programming — overlapping with RAISEfashion on designer development, grantmaking, and NYFW event support.
- MADE for the People / MADE Fashion: MADE Fashion is an incubator and showcase platform supporting emerging BIPOC designers through NYFW presentations, mentorship, and retail partnerships — comparable designer-incubation mission and fashion-week-centric activation model.
- Harlem's Fashion Row: Harlem's Fashion Row is a nonprofit supporting BIPOC designers through NYFW showcases, mentorship, and corporate partnerships — directly comparable mission, target audience, and NYFW-driven GTM motion to RAISEfashion.
- Nest: Nest is a nonprofit that supports underrepresented artisan and designer businesses with mentorship, market access, and production funding — closely comparable pro-bono advisory and grantmaking model to RAISEfashion's Designer Production Fund.
Others
- Antiracism Fund (ARF): Antiracism Fund is a strategic partner of RAISEfashion that co-runs the HBCU internship program; it is a peer in mission alignment around racial equity in industry pipelines, though its scope extends well beyond fashion.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
Raisefashion social profiles
Digital presenceRaisefashion compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Raisefashion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Raisefashion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Raisefashion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Raisefashion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Raisefashion
What does Raisefashion do?
RAISEfashion provides pro-bono advisory services, mentorship, educational programming, and grant funding to Black-owned brands and independent designers from underrepresented communities in the fashion industry. Its core offerings are delivered through structured programs including the Masterclass, RAISECollective, Summer Internship Program, and the Designer Production Fund.
Is Raisefashion a public or private company?
Raisefashion is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Raisefashion founded?
Raisefashion was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Raisefashion based?
Raisefashion is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Raisefashion make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Raisefashion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black in Fashion Council, Fifteen Percent Pledge, Fashion for All Foundation, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), MADE for the People / MADE Fashion, Harlem's Fashion Row and Nest. Antiracism Fund (ARF) is listed as an others.
Does Raisefashion have an API?
No public API is recorded for Raisefashion.
What industry is Raisefashion in?
Raisefashion's product category is Fashion Industry Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 81321.