Daveed Baptiste wins 2025 Empowered Vision Award

Designer Daveed Baptiste has been named the recipient of the 2025 Empowered Vision Award, presented by The Andréa W. and Kenneth C. Frazier Family Foundation in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

The announcement was made Thursday evening at a cocktail reception at the W Union Square in New York City, where artistic director and cultural advocate Edward Buchanan and supermodel Imaan Hammam revealed Baptiste as this year’s honouree. The event drew members of the fashion industry, media, and design community to celebrate the award’s mission of supporting and elevating Black designers.

“Daveed Baptiste ultimately distinguished themselves through clear, thoughtful storytelling and a disciplined, vulnerable approach to building and strengthening their tools to lead a business,” said Milton Dixon III, program director of the Empowered Vision Award. 

“We’re proud to support a designer whose work speaks to the future of fashion, and we’re excited to move forward with them over the next year of mentorship and continued investment.”

The Empowered Vision Award includes a $100,000 financial grant, along with a year-long mentorship program valued at an additional $100,000. The initiative is designed to provide emerging Black designers with critical funding, industry guidance, and strategic support to help scale their businesses and build a global presence