Reebok has announced a partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA). The goal of the alliance is to nurture creativity and the future talents of American fashion. The partnership was born to face the challenge of finding and preserving talents in the rapidly-evolving and ever-changing fashion landscape.

Working together with the CFDA, the adidas-owned sneaker brand will help support up-and-coming designers within its Fashion Future Graduate Showcase (FFGS), a partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation NYCEDC, which spotlights the best young talents from eight colleges nationwide, including the Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute. CFDA and Reebok aim to engage innovative thinkers early in their careers and provide them with opportunities to foster their development via industry exposure and mentorship from established industry figures.

Moreover, this partnership will also involve another important event. Starting February 2019, Reebok will indeed be an official supporter of New York Fashion Week: Men’s with a specific focus on discovering and supporting emerging talents. This partnership, according to the company, will be an occasion to “advance and shape the future of American menswear design.”

Karen Reuther, Creative Director at Reebok, said: “Reebok is committed to inspiring and enabling people to push boundaries and reach their full potential. With the need to secure the creative talent of tomorrow today, our partnership with the CFDA will enable us to identify and support the next generation of American fashion trailblazers. To stay ahead, tomorrow’s leaders will need to incorporate digital innovation, sustainability and ethical practices into their fashion philosophy, and our ambition is that, through our union with the CFDA, we will be able to nurture these exciting individuals to meet the evolving demands of the industry.”

Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA, commented: “Our new partnership with Reebok around Fashion Future Graduate Showcase this month and New York Fashion Week: Men’s next February allows us to jointly put the spotlight on emerging talent and secure the future of American fashion and creativity.”