Saks Fifth Avenue is back with year 3 of its emerging designer accelerator program, The New Wave at Saks. Since its 2021 inception, The New Wave has served as a vehicle to support the next generation of design and retail talent while developing high-potential independent brands and accelerating their growth at Saks as well as within the fashion industry overall. This year’s lineup includes an array of designers in various categories such as women’s fashion, men’s fashion, footwear, jewelry, and kids.
As a continued effort to amplify diverse voices and increase representation in fashion, at least half of program participants each year are BIPOC brands. The brands in this year’s program include Armando Cabral, Áwet, Bernard James, Elisamama, June 79, and Renowned. The chosen participants will be a part of a six-month-long program that includes a retail boot camp, mentorship and consulting services, entrepreneurial workshops, and industry roundtables. The participants will gain the skills and insights to scale their businesses at Saks and beyond. Each brand will be eligible to receive a $10,000 grant to support its business operations and growth. They will also receive dedicated marketing support from Saks, including content exposure on the Saks website.
For the third year in a row, Mastercard is the presenting sponsor of The New Wave at Saks. The company will host a dedicated roundtable session to provide participating brands access to its Digital Doors program, which includes exclusive resources and tools to help small businesses further grow and digitally enhance their online presence.
