Veronica Beard, CFDA Foundation Reveal Multi-Year Creative Futures Scholarship Partnership

Veronica Beard and the Council of Fashion Designers of America revealed a renewed three-year partnership of the Veronica Beard x CFDA Creative Futures Scholarship, reinforcing their commitment to investing in the next generation of American fashion talent.

The news was shared at a celebratory dinner Tuesday night at Frevo in New York City, cohosted by Veronica Beard cofounders and sisters-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard, alongside CFDA chief executive officer Steven Kolb. Among those in attendance were Ego Nwodim, Jill Kargman, Tonne Goodman, Ashley Moubayed, Iris Apatow, Coco Arquette, Bethann Hardison, Beverly Nguyen and Tina Leung.

A nine-course dinner was served at the intimate chef’s counter tucked behind a gallery at the Michelin-starred restaurant at 48 West 8th Street in New York City. The tasting menu included sweet nori with shishito peppers, bluefin tuna with pineapple, smoked tuna and bottarga over a pretzel bun, and butternut squash with curated wine pairings.

While guests chatted about the upcoming fashion week, the weather, Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, and “Heated Rivalry,” the focus of the dinner was Veronica Beard’s multiyear partnership with the CFDA.

As a pillar of VB Gives Back, this marks a consecutive partnership, the only multiyear endeavor of the philanthropic arm to Veronica Beard.

After three years of direct scholarship support, the partnership will transition into an endowment, extending the impact and ability to support emerging designers over time. Reflecting a 10-year commitment, the endowment underscores a shared belief that the future of American fashion requires sustained investment in people, ideas and long-term opportunity.

“We’re incredibly proud to build on our work with the CFDA Foundation through our first-ever multiyear VB Gives Back partnership — expanding our commitment to emerging designers and playing a meaningful role in shaping what’s next,” said Swanson Beard.

“At its core, this partnership is about mentorship and connection. Being able to support students at such a pivotal moment in their careers — and learn from their creativity and point of view in return — is incredibly meaningful to us,” said Miele Beard.

“Partnering with the CFDA on this scholarship felt like a meaningful way to invest in emerging creative talent, and celebrating the launch together over dinner made it even more special. It was a reminder of the community and creativity that continue to move our industry forward,” said Miele Beard.

The first program started last summer where four selected design students had an opportunity to work at Veronica Beard’s headquarters in knitwear, soft wovens, tailoring and denim. Several of the looks they created (denim set, knit top and skirt, suit, and dress) were planned to hit stores on Wednesday, said Swanson Beard.

This year, the Veronica Beard x CFDA Creative Futures Scholarship will again award four undergraduate junior design students $50,000 each toward tuition and education expenses, along with a paid summer internship at Veronica Beard’s New York City headquarters. Scholars will be selected following a review process led by the CFDA across various design categories, including knitwear, soft wovens, tailoring, and denim.

Finalists participate in a design challenge inspired by Veronica Beard’s seasonal vision and present their work to Miele Beard, Swanson Beard, and Iris Lee, vice president of design at Veronica Beard.

During cocktails, Lee said she found last summer’s four interns “really inspiring because they all have such a strong, unique point of view.” They came from different backgrounds and mingled with the entire design studio, she said. Three of them were students at Fashion Institute of Technology and one was from Marist College. “We would totally hire any of them in a heartbeat,” she said, noting that they’re now seniors.

“It’s really from their perspective and seeing the Veronica Beard universe from their lens. It’s also learning what’s important to the younger generation. They’re much into the whole sustainability aspect,” added Lee. She said they were all “so polished for their age.”

Next summer, interns will join the Veronica Beard design team for an immersive experience across the full product lifecycle, from sketching and fittings to final garment development. The program is designed to embed students in real-world design environments while encouraging fresh creative perspectives.

“We had the most incredible experience with this group because I think we learned more than they learned. And what was so fulfilling was just that full-circle moment of having people that you get to teach, but that you know you are learning from, and you can’t believe you have a business that you can teach these amazing students,” said Swanson Beard.

Miele Beard told the room that 13 years ago, the duo were finalists in the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, which resembled an internship “because we were thrown in the frying pan.”

“We had people that we were competing against, but also it was incredible to learn from our peers. We were all going through it together….And I hope that at our company, when we do this scholarship, it’s more than a traditional internship. It’s an experience, kind of like the CFDA was for us, and we’re indebted to you because that experience really launched us, and so hopefully this is a payback for all these years,” said Miele Beard.

CFDA’s Kolb explained that as a nonprofit, “everything we do depends on the kindness of others to pay for what we do, and sometimes it’s just a one-off or short term.” He said the Beards are making a 15-year investment and an endowment, and the CFDA only has two other endowed scholarship programs, Geoffrey Beene and Liz Claiborne, “who really changed the way women dress, much like you guys are changing and have changed the way women dress.”

“Veronica Beard’s multiyear commitment to the CFDA Foundation is a meaningful investment in the future of American fashion,” said Kolb. “As we celebrate three decades of the CFDA Scholarship Fund, this partnership exemplifies our shared mission to expand opportunity, foster innovation, and support the designers who will define the next chapter of our industry.”

Since 2015, Beard has partnered with over 900 organizations and donated over $10 million to causes spanning education, women’s empowerment, and community support.

Since the founding of the CFDA Foundation in 1996, the signature program has awarded more than $4 million and 375 scholarships to fashion design students from leading American colleges and universities. Today, the CFDA works with over 40 leading fashion schools to identify and nurture top-pier creative talent, with a continued focus on inclusivity and innovation.