Zane Li Wins the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund

Zane Li can change the shape of a white cotton dress by giving it a second front. That instinct for recutting familiar clothes has earned the founder and creative director of New York label LII the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The Council of Fashion Designers of America announced the result on 20 October at the Crane Club in New York City. Li received $300,000, while runners-up Aisling Camps and Emily Dawn Long each received $100,000. All ten finalists were offered business mentorship.

How Zane Li builds a silhouette

LII uses the ease of sportswear to make sculptural clothes feel natural on the body. Born in Chongqing, China, Li graduated from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology in 2023 and debuted his label at New York Fashion Week in February 2024. His $480 Double-Front Dress shows the method in miniature. A panel draped across the front gives depth to a white cotton dress with a spare boat neckline. In his spring/summer 2027 womenswear collection, Li worked on a bolder scale, pairing twisted T-shirts with folded skirts that jut away from the body and cutting windbreakers in bright orange nylon.

Three awards in one year for LII

LuxuryAbode's tally puts Zane Li's 2026 run at three wins across three separate programmes. Fashion Trust U.S. gave LII its Ready-to-Wear Award in April. On 4 September, Li won the Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, earning €200,000 and a year of mentorship from LVMH specialists. The two autumn awards alone brought LII grants of $300,000 from the Fashion Fund and €200,000 from the Karl Lagerfeld Prize. 

The LuxuryAbode View

LuxuryAbode sees LII's strongest commercial asset in how easily its design language moves from a runway look to a piece someone can wear often. A dramatic fold gives a runway skirt its profile. On a cotton dress, an extra layer achieves a quieter version of the same effect. The grant gives Li room to tackle the less visible work behind that distinction, from sampling across sizes to finding production partners who can preserve the shape of a garment at volume. The next collection will show how well that precision holds as more buyers encounter LII off the runway.

LuxuryAbode welcomes conversations with independent designers about the ideas and craft behind their collections.

FAQs

Who won the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund?

Zane Li, founder and creative director of New York fashion label LII, won the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund on 20 October 2026. 

How much did Zane Li win, and who were the runners-up?

Li received $300,000. Aisling Camps and Emily Dawn Long each received $100,000 as runners-up. 

What is LII known for?

LII is known for ready-to-wear that combines sportswear fabrics and proportions with sculptural cutting, folds and layered construction. 

What other fashion awards did Zane Li win in 2026?

Li won the Fashion Trust U.S. Ready-to-Wear Award in April and the €200,000 Karl Lagerfeld Prize in September.