Rachel Scott of Diotima Has Won the CFDA's First-Ever Empowered Vision Award
Last night, image architect Law Roach announced to a room filled with fashion editors and designers that Rachel Scott of Diotima was the recipient of the CFDA's 2024 Empowered Vision Award.
Together with the Frazier Family Foundation, the Council of Fashion Designers of America founded the award to support and uplift emerging Black designers by providing them with a $100,000 financial grant and year-long mentorship program (also valued at $100,000). Aisling Camps and Charles Harbison were the two finalists judged alongside Scott from a panel that included figures like Diane von Furstenberg, Emilie Rubinfeld, and Harper's Bazaar's own Carlos Nazario
The inaugural award ceremony came just one month after the CFDA Awards, where Scott won American Womenswear Designer of the Year. Her designs, which are rooted in her lived experience as a Jamaican, have become known for their texture. Scott's signature garments are often made of handmade crochet or macrame in bright colors or striped patterns, wrapping around the wearer's body like a delicate cocoon of doilies.
Steve Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, said in a statement, “Congratulations not only to Rachel Scott of Diotima, but also to Aisling Camps and Charles Harbison of Harbison for their exceptional creativity, vision and commitment to building unique and sustainable brands showcasing the best of American fashion creativity. Their work exemplifies the shared vision between CFDA and Frazier Family Foundation to redefine the possibilities in fashion by promoting homegrown creative business talent.”
James Frazier, trustee of the Frazier Family Foundation added, “Supporting Rachel Scott through the Empowered Vision Award is a meaningful step in our commitment to breaking down barriers and building pathways for Black designers to thrive. By partnering with the CFDA, we’re investing not only in her creative journey but in the future of a more inclusive and resilient industry. With mentorship and financial backing, we aim to equip designers to shape their businesses—and the industry itself—with confidence and sustainable growth. We’re excited to see howRachel’s journey will inspire broader progress toward an industry where all voices are truly represented.”
Through the new Empowered Vision Award initiative, the CFDA and the Frazier Family foundation hope to continue in leveling the playing field for Black designers while also allowing them to scale sustainably as they continue to expand the voices that shape the fashion industry.
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