Zane Li, the designer behind New York-based fashion label Lii, has won the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, securing a $300,000 (approximately £224,000) prize to support the growth of his business. The award, announced at a celebratory dinner in New York on Tuesday, 20 October, marks another major achievement for the designer, who has already collected two other fashion prizes this year.
Born in Chongqing, China, and now based in New York City, Li has built a growing reputation for his ready-to-wear approach, combining sporty materials, distinctive shapes, and bold colours. He founded his label, Lii, in 2024, and it has developed an identity that balances practical clothing with experimental design.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund recognises emerging designers working to establish and expand their businesses. Alongside the cash award, the programme offers mentorship from experienced fashion industry figures, helping designers navigate the commercial demands of running independent labels.
Zane Li Wins the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund
Li was named the winner of this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund on 20 October, completing a successful year for the designer and his label. He will receive $300,000 in prize money, as well as continued mentorship from industry experts.
The two runners-up, Aisling Camps and Emily Dawn Long, will each receive $100,000 to help develop their respective businesses. Camps is a Trinidadian-born knitwear designer, while Long is known for her 'Spoiled Boys' T-shirts.
Thom Browne, chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), praised the finalists' individuality and creative approaches in a statement accompanying the announcement. The annual fund is designed to help promising designers turn their creative work into sustainable businesses.
Financial support comes with guidance and industry connections, helping address some of the challenges designers face when building brands independently. The latest award follows recognition from other fashion industry organisations, placing Lii among the emerging labels gaining attention in 2026.
A Successful Year for the Designer Behind Lii
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is Li's third major cash prize of the year. In April, he won the Ready-to-Wear Award at the Fashion Trust US Awards. In September, he received the Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the 2026 LVMH Prize ceremony in Paris.
The Fashion Trust US recognition highlighted the development of Lii since its launch. According to the organisation's profile, Li moved to New York in 2019 to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), graduating in ready-to-wear fashion in spring 2023.
He subsequently developed his brand identity and first womenswear collection before presenting the label during New York Fashion Week in February 2024. Since then, Lii has expanded its international retail presence, with stockists across markets including the United States, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia and Canada.
The label has also dressed celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Ayo Edebiri, Greta Lee and Britt Lower, according to Fashion Trust US. These developments have helped establish the label's presence in the contemporary fashion market, while the recent awards offer additional financial resources and opportunities for growth.
What Makes Zane Li's Fashion Label Lii Stand Out?
Lii's collections combine sportswear influences with sculptural shapes, technical fabrics and strong colour choices. Rather than treating functionality and experimentation as opposing ideas, Li uses practical materials and familiar silhouettes as starting points for more unconventional designs.
Vogue's coverage of the designer's collections has highlighted his use of geometry, clean lines and unexpected construction. His garments can look relatively simple at first glance, but details in their shapes and proportions create a different effect from other angles.
The label's aesthetic also extends beyond individual garments. Li has spoken about the freedom that comes with building his own brand, allowing him to make decisions about everything from the clothing itself to the music and presentation of a fashion show.
In an interview with Vogue during the 2026 Fashion Fund finalist process, he described the creative control as one of the most rewarding parts of running a label, even as he acknowledged the challenges of managing revenue, costs and losses. That balance between creative independence and commercial responsibility is a central concern for emerging designers, particularly those developing businesses without the resources available to established fashion houses.
Lii Joins Material Innovation Challenge
As part of the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund programme, the finalists also participated in a Material Innovation Challenge organised in partnership with Humane World for Animals. The challenge asked designers to reconsider their work using bio-based textiles, with each finalist required to incorporate at least two materials presented as more environmentally conscious alternatives.
Li developed a vest using natural latex and fibre fur for the challenge, bringing the material brief into the visual language of his label. Other participants explored alternatives including orange-peel silk, plant-based materials and leather substitutes.
The initiative formed part of the programme's wider effort to encourage experimentation while introducing designers to new material options. It also gave the finalists an opportunity to test how different textiles could be incorporated into their established design approaches.
How the Fashion Fund Helps New Designers
Established following the September 11 attacks, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was created to support emerging designers and help develop the next generation of American fashion talent. The programme combines financial assistance with mentorship and industry exposure. Finalists take part in presentations and events designed to connect their businesses with retailers, editors, and other fashion professionals.
Previous participants and winners have included designers and labels such as Proenza Schouler, Joseph Altuzarra, Christopher John Rogers, Telfar and Sandy Liang. For the 2026 finalists, the programme also offered a chance to present their collections in Paris through the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund's Americans in Paris showcase, connecting emerging American-based designers with international industry figures.
Li's win gives Lii additional funding and mentorship as the label continues to develop. After recognition from the Fashion Trust US and the LVMH Prize earlier this year, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award marks another major milestone in the designer's career.
