US fashion designer Tom Ford is stepping down as the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Ford was appointed as the CFDA chairperson in 2019, and his role will end on May 31 this year.
He took over from Diane von Furstenberg, who had been the CFDA chairperson for 13 years before stepping down.
“When I began my role as chairman in June of 2019, my goal was to help the American fashion industry become more globally recognised for its talent and importance. I could not have imagined the extraordinary circumstances that both the industry and the world would have to navigate — that a pandemic would shut the world down and change the course of our lives and of our businesses forever,” he said in a statement released by CFDA.
In his short period as the CFDA chairman, he played a huge role in propelling the American fashion industry. Together with Vogue, he launched the CFDA’s A Common Thread initiative and donated over $5 million to the fashion industry in the US.
“As chairman of the CFDA, I have had the privilege to experience first-hand the remarkable determination and optimism that drives our industry. I am honoured to have been able to support the truly incredible talent in the American fashion industry for these past three years, and I look forward to continuing in my role on the CFDA board,” said Ford.
He will remain a board member and the new chairperson will be voted.