Fashion Trust U.S.
Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, launched in 2022, that provides financial grants and one-year mentorship to emerging U.S.-based fashion designers through an annual award program selecting 16 finalists across Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate categories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Fashion Trust U.S. does
Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, launched on May 9, 2022 in New York, dedicated to supporting emerging U.S.-based fashion designers through financial grants and one-year mentorship programs. Modeled on the UK-based Fashion Trust founded by Tania Fares in 2011 under the British Fashion Council, the U.S. entity runs an annual award competition in which sixteen finalists are selected across four categories—Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate—with six awards distributed each year at a gala ceremony (held in Los Angeles in 2023 and 2025 and Beverly Hills in 2024). The organization is governed by a board that votes on finalists and winners, supported by an advisory board, ambassadors, and a mentor network drawn from established designers, stylists, editors, and fashion executives.
The organization's core products are its Awards Program, the Financial Grants distributed to winners, a one-year Mentorship Program covering budgeting, social media, digital marketing, merchandising, wholesale, and scaling, and a London Mentorship Intensive delivered in partnership with the British Fashion Council. Applications from designers are free and processed through an online portal with a December 1 annual deadline. There is no proprietary technology platform; the organization operates through a Squarespace-hosted website, an application portal, social media (primarily Instagram), and an email newsletter.
Fashion Trust U.S. is funded through donations and a Patron Program. Individual donations are accepted at tiers up to $5,000 and above $5,000, and a Patron Package is priced at $15,000 annually, offering voting participation, gala invitations, networking access, and event hosting rights; the first fifty patrons are recognized as "Founders" in perpetuity. Corporate sponsorships supplement donor revenue, with title-level partners including Shop with Google (Graduate and Creativity Awards), St. John (Ready-to-Wear Award), and Farfetch (official e-commerce partner featuring winners' collections on farfetch.com). Additional brand supporters have included ETRO, Balmain, and Code8. The organization does not publicly disclose financials.
Fashion Trust U.S. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fashion Trust U.S.
- Legal name
- Fashion Trust U.S.
- Website
- https://fashiontrustus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, launched in 2022, that provides financial grants and one-year mentorship to emerging U.S.-based fashion designers through an annual award program selecting 16 finalists across Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate categories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fashion Trust U.S. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Non-profit fashion grants and mentorship
- NAICS
- Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury Fashion (Ready-to-Wear & Couture) (CRAKAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Everyday Fashion Jewelry (Earrings/Necklaces/Bracelets/Rings) (CRAKABAA), Custom Fashion/Costume & Alternative Materials Jewelry (CRAKAHAC)
Keywords
Where Fashion Trust U.S. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Fashion Trust U.S. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Donations and Patron Memberships: Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds its operations through donations and patron memberships. The primary revenue streams include individual donations (up to $5,000 and $5,000+ tiers) and a Patron Package at $15,000 annual fee that includes voting participation, gala invitations, networking events, and event hosting opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Patron Package - $15,000 annual fee with exclusive benefits |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Fashion Trust U.S. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that runs an annual application-based awards program selecting 16 emerging U.S.-based fashion designers as finalists across Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate categories. Winners receive financial grants and a one-year mentorship program, supported by an annual London intensive and industry networking events funded by donations and a $15,000 Patron Package.
Product overview
Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating as a single unified platform dedicated to supporting emerging U.S.-based fashion designers. The core offering is the annual Fashion Trust U.S. Awards Program, which provides financial grants and mentorship to winners across four categories: Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate Award. The awards are complemented by a one-year mentorship program and an annual London Mentorship Intensive conducted in partnership with the British Fashion Council. The organization selects sixteen finalists annually through a board-voted process.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fashion Trust U.S. Awards Program Annual application-based awards program for emerging U.S.-based fashion designers in Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate categories. Sixteen finalists are selected by board vote each year; winners receive financial grants and a year of mentorship.
- Financial Grants for Emerging Designers Monetary grants distributed annually among winning designers of the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards Program, funded by donations and the Patron Package.
- One-Year Mentorship Program Comprehensive one-year mentorship provided to award winners, covering budgeting, social media growth, strategy, digital marketing, merchandising, wholesale, and business scaling, delivered by the FTUS board, advisory board, and mentors.
- London Mentorship Intensive Annual intensive held in London in partnership with the British Fashion Council, providing immersive educational and career-building sessions for award winners on financial scaling, manufacturing, merchandising, wholesale, D2C, and branding.
- Patron Package $15,000 annual Patron Package offering voting participation in the annual designer grant allocation decision, Award Show Gala invitations, networking with high-profile patrons, and the opportunity to host a Fashion Trust U.S. event. The first fifty Patrons are recognized as Founders in perpetuity on all event programs.
Companies that use Fashion Trust U.S.
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Fashion Trust U.S. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fashion Trust U.S. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- British Fashion CouncilcoreFashion Trust U.S. partnered with the British Fashion Council for the 2025 Mentorship Program: London Intensive. Winners were flown to London for an immersive fashion industry business bootcamp covering financial scaling, manufacturing, merchandising, wholesale strategies, direct-to-consumer models, and branding.
- BalmainminorBalmain and Cameron Silver hosted an exclusive dinner in support of Fashion Trust U.S. on Shelter Island in August 2024, featuring a month-long ephemeral boutique.
- Shop with GooglecoreShop with Google partnered with Fashion Trust U.S. to sponsor the Graduate Award and Creativity Award. The partnership recognizes designers making an impact through creativity and underrepresented communities. Google's mission to organize information and make it accessible supports emerging designers' visibility and e-commerce capabilities.
- St. JohncoreSt. John, an American luxury fashion house founded in 1962, sponsors the Ready-to-Wear Award. The winner receives financial funding plus mentoring and business development advice from St. John executives and the FTUS advisory board.
- FarfetchmajorFarfetch serves as FTUS's official 2023 e-commerce partner, featuring winning designers' collections on farfetch.com. This provides winners with access to Farfetch's global luxury fashion platform and customer base.
- Code8minorCode8, a London-born makeup brand focused on inclusive beauty, served as a Silver Sponsor in 2023.
- ETROminorCameron Silver and Debi Wisch hosted an intimate dinner celebrating ETRO's Hamptons Pop-Up and Fashion Trust U.S., with 10% of proceeds donated to FTUS.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Fashion Trust U.S. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fashion Group International (FGI): US-based nonprofit industry organization connecting fashion professionals through events, awards, and education. Comparable nonprofit mission supporting fashion industry talent, with a broader professional networking focus rather than designer-only grants.
- Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA): US-based nonprofit industry organization supporting American fashion designers through awards (CFDA Awards), the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and educational programs. Directly comparable to FTUS in mission, audience (US emerging designers), and nonprofit funding model.
- CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund: Joint CFDA and Vogue program providing financial grants and mentorship to emerging US fashion designers. Closest US analog to FTUS, with similar grant-plus-mentorship structure but a single annual winner focus rather than four categories.
Emerging players
- H&M Foundation Global Change Award: Innovation prize funding early-stage circular and sustainable fashion ventures with grant funding and accelerator support. Comparable grant-driven emerging-talent support but oriented toward sustainability and innovation specifically.
- LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers: Annual international prize established by LVMH for emerging designers under 40, with mentorship from LVMH executives and significant cash prize. Comparable emerging-designer support mission at much larger scale and global scope.
- International Woolmark Prize: Global fashion prize recognizing emerging designers who use merino wool, with cash prizes, mentorship, and global retail placement. Comparable grant-plus-mentorship model but focused on a specific material category.
Regional players
- Italian Fashion Camera (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana): Italy's national fashion industry body supporting Italian designers through events, competitions (including support for emerging designers), and international representation. Comparable industry-support mission with a national/regional scope outside the US.
- ANDAM Prize: Leading French fashion prize supporting emerging designers with grant funding, mentorship, and industry exposure. Comparable structure (annual prize + mentorship) but operates primarily in the French/European fashion ecosystem.
- BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund: UK equivalent run by the British Fashion Council and Vogue, providing grants and mentorship to British emerging designers. FTUS was explicitly modeled on Fashion Trust, which is run by the BFC; comparable structure but UK-focused.
Others
- Kering's Caring for the Future: Kering's philanthropic and industry-support initiatives around sustainability and women in fashion. Comparable industry-backed funding for emerging talent and adjacent sustainability themes, but driven by a single luxury conglomerate rather than an independent nonprofit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fashion Trust U.S. social profiles
Digital presenceFashion Trust U.S. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fashion Trust U.S. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Fashion Trust U.S. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fashion Trust U.S. 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 Fashion Trust U.S.
What does Fashion Trust U.S. do?
Fashion Trust U.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that runs an annual application-based awards program selecting 16 emerging U.S.-based fashion designers as finalists across Ready-to-Wear, Jewelry, Accessories, and Graduate categories. Winners receive financial grants and a one-year mentorship program, supported by an annual London intensive and industry networking events funded by donations and a $15,000 Patron Package.
Is Fashion Trust U.S. a public or private company?
Fashion Trust U.S. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fashion Trust U.S. founded?
Fashion Trust U.S. was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Fashion Trust U.S. based?
Fashion Trust U.S. is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fashion Trust U.S. make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Patron Memberships.
Who are Fashion Trust U.S.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fashion Group International (FGI), Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Emerging players are H&M Foundation Global Change Award, LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers and International Woolmark Prize. Regional players are Italian Fashion Camera (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana), ANDAM Prize and BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. Kering's Caring for the Future is listed as an others.
Does Fashion Trust U.S. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fashion Trust U.S..
What industry is Fashion Trust U.S. in?
Fashion Trust U.S.'s product category is Non-profit fashion grants and mentorship. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKAFAE, Luxury Fashion (Ready-to-Wear & Couture), with a secondary code of CRAKABAA, Everyday Fashion Jewelry (Earrings/Necklaces/Bracelets/Rings). Its NAICS code is 458 and its SIC code is 5600.