Fashion by Informa and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) today announced a new partnership that will launch in September at Sourcing by Informa. The partnership will spotlight local manufacturing and feature educational programs in New York where Fashion by Informa presents Coterie by Informa, Sourcing by Informa and Magic by Informa.
The CFDA partnership will continue into 2027.
The organizations said the collaboration aims to strengthen American fashion manufacturing and expand access to local production while creating new connections between New York–based manufacturers and the global fashion marketplace.
The partnership will debut at Fashion by Informa’s New York Marketplace, which is located at the Javits Center and runs Sept. 9 to Sept. 11, 2026. CFDA-curated local manufacturers and educational programming will be showcased on the Sourcing by Informa show floor, “creating direct access between local production partners and an international audience of brands, buyers and industry leaders,” the organizations said in a statement.
The September event includes two CFDA-led educational sessions along with six to eight manufacturers from New York City. The partnership will also be presented in February 2027 with additional CFDA-curated local manufacturers and educational programming, “reinforcing both organizations’ shared commitment to sustained support for local manufacturing.”
Olivia Lyons, head of innovation and partnerships at Fashion by Informa, said the impetus behind the partnership is to meet the needs of a changing industry. “As the fashion industry continues to evolve, local production is becoming increasingly important not only as a business advantage, but as a way to preserve craft, improve speed-to-market and create more resilient supply chains.”
Lyons said her organization is excited to partner with the CFDA “to champion the resurgence of local manufacturing and to showcase the exceptional quality and innovation happening right here in New York City. By bringing CFDA’s expanded network of local manufacturers directly to our global audience at Coterie and Sourcing, we’re not just facilitating introductions; we’re helping to rebuild the infrastructure of American-made fashion.”
Sara Kozlowski, senior vice president of program strategies and education/sustainability initiatives at the CFDA, said local manufacturing “is essential to preserving the creativity, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurial spirit that define American fashion while ensuring innovation continues to thrive close to home.”
Kozlowski said the partnership Fashion by Informa “will create new opportunities to strengthen domestic production, support the future of American factories, and help build a more resilient manufacturing ecosystem.”
Fashion by Informa said the partnership with the CFDA builds on the broader mission of Sourcing by Informa to connect fashion businesses and brands as well as sourcing professionals with a global network of manufacturers, suppliers and service providers as well as technology and educational resources.
Fashion by Informa said with Sourcing’s return to New York this fall, “the addition of CFDA’s local manufacturing expertise brings an important new dimension to the East Coast marketplace, one centered on proximity, innovation and the future of American fashion production.”
