Thom Browne named chairman of the CFDA

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Oct 12, 2022

The CFDA has named Thom Browne as its next chairman.

Effective January 1, Browne will succeed Tom Ford, who completed a three-year term at the end of May. In interim, Steven Kolb, has served as chief executive officer of the CFDA, and will continue to do so through Dec. 31. 

Browne joins past CFDA chairs, including Diane von Furstenberg, Stan Herman, Carolyne Roehm, Perry Ellis, Mary McFadden, Bill Blass, Herbert Kasper, Oscar de la Renta, Norman Norell, and Sydney Wragge.

“I am very excited about taking on the chairmanship of the CFDA…,” said Browne. “I feel a huge responsibility in working with Steven and the CFDA team to carry on the positive and important work of Tom, Diane and Stan. I also feel that it is important to give back to an industry that has supported me so well over the last 20 years. I am so proud to be an American designer… there is so much happening in American design today that the world needs to really see and recognize and truly appreciate.” 

Browne launched his business in 2003 with men’s suiting an has since expanded into complete men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, footwear, accessories, and fragrance. A member of the CFDA since 2005, he is also a past member of the organization’s Admissions Committee and serves on the current Selection Committee for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

He has been the recipient of the CFDA’s prestigious Menswear Designer of the Year award three times including in 2006, 2013, and 2016 — and he was also a runner-up winner of the 2005 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

“Thom understands the steps that are required to build an American fashion business that is both successful and highly respected by the global fashion community,” said Kolb. 

“Our members, at every level of the CFDA, and the organization as a whole will benefit immensely from his thoughts, ideas and experience, and I’m looking forward to our work together.”