Tiffany & Co., CFDA Announce New Jewelry Designer Award
One designer will win $50,000 and a fellowship with the jewelry company.
Starting in October, selected applicants will take part in a multi-week mentorship and immersive learning experience at Tiffany & Co.
According to the CFDA website, the program will be hybrid.
It will take place in person in New York City from Oct. 8-10, virtually the weeks of Oct. 21, Nov. 11, and Dec. 2, and in person again on Jan. 14 and 15.
During the program, participants will be briefed on the design challenge, which will be led by Tiffany & Co.’s design team.
A selection committee will then evaluate the design challenge results and choose the winner of the first Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award.
They will receive $50,000 and a yearlong paid fellowship with Tiffany & Co.’s design department, beginning February 2025.
The 2024 selection committee is comprised of:
Alexandre Arnault, executive vice president of product, communications, and industrial at Tiffany & Co;
Bethann Hardison, board member and activist at CFDA;
Frank Everett, vice chairman of jewelry at Sotheby’s;
Gabrielle Union, an actress;
Jahleel Weaver, a creative director and stylist;
Jason Wu, founder and chief creative officer of Jason Wu Studio, and a CFDA member;
Joan Smalls, a supermodel and actress;
Nathalie Verdeille, chief artistic officer of jewelry and high jewelry at Tiffany & Co.;
and Rajni Jacques, global head of fashion and beauty at Snap Inc.
The award was created to recognize jewelry designers who are committed to driving inclusivity within the design industry, said the organizations, elevating jewelry design as its own category akin to womenswear.
“This first-ever award with a sole focus on jewelry is a testament to CFDA’s longstanding commitment and mission to celebrate American creative excellence,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of CFDA.
“Through the CFDA Impact program, we are thrilled to partner with Tiffany & Co., a cornerstone house with an iconic heritage, and Tiffany Atrium to identify and cultivate an inclusive next generation of American jewelry designers.”
This award was developed by the council’s CFDA Impact program and Tiffany Atrium, the jewelry company’s social impact program.
Respectively, these branches of Tiffany & Co. and CFDA work to create more access and opportunity in the jewelry space, and equitable and sustainable change in representation of diverse creatives.
“The inaugural Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award uplifts Tiffany Atrium’s commitment to fostering lasting change across the jewelry and design industries,” said Arnault, of Tiffany & Co.
“With a rich history of supporting inclusivity and creative excellence, Tiffany & Co. continues to be a champion for creative expression and social impact.”
The application process for the 2024 program opened Monday, July 29, and closes Aug. 16.
Applicants will be chosen based on years of proven design experience, concept sketching, experience with digital and hand rendering, 3D CAD design and printing, ability to design concepts and collections through couture designs and gifts, and other skills, said CFDA.
The program’s participants will be announced this fall, with the award recipient announced in early 2025.
For more information on the Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award and to apply to the program, visit CFDA’s website.
The Latest
Step inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
These punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
The company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Sponsored by Tasha R
Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.