Tiffany & Co. and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) have announced the 10 finalists who will compete for a yearlong fellowship in Tiffany’s design department and a $50,000 prize.
The Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award was inaugurated earlier this year with the purpose of driving inclusivity in the jewelry industry. A winner will be selected from the finalists based on a design challenge that the CFDA describes on its website as “crafted to push boundaries” and “test their creative spirit.”
The finalists participating in the challenge, which will be created by Tiffany’s design team, are Symoné Currie, Ian Delucca, Marvin Linares, Angie Marei, Malyia McNaughton (pictured), Jameel Mohammed, David Perry, Maggi Simpkins, Hi Vu, and Pamela Zamore.
Earlier this month they attended the program’s kickoff and an immersive three-day orientation in New York, which included breakfasts, a lecture series, and tours of Tiffany‘s Fifth Avenue flagship, the Landmark, and its jewelry design and innovation workshop.
The winner of the award will be selected in early 2025, and the fellowship will begin in February.
“I’m deeply honored to be a finalist and excited to continue growing as a designer with the support of such iconic names in the jewelry world,” McNaughton tells JCK. “This recognition inspires me to push creative boundaries, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.”
McNaughton, who is based in Brooklyn, says she knew about the award from social media and the CFDA website, but industry friends and family members also messaged her about it because they knew she was interested in working with Tiffany.
“As a New York native, designing for Tiffany & Co. would be a dream come true. I’ve always admired Elsa Peretti’s career and journey, and I see this as a way to get closer to my own dream of creating a collection for Tiffany & Co.,” she says.
“This opportunity will have a tremendous impact on my career. The visibility from a platform like Tiffany & Co. x CFDA brings new eyes to my work and gives me the chance to share my vision with a broader audience,” says McNaughton.
When asked for hint about her final project, McNaughton says the design world will just have to wait to see. “I can’t share the project, but it will push me creatively,” she says. “I am up for the challenge and can’t wait to show the final project once the competition is over.”
The Tiffany & Co. x CFDA fellowship is housed within the two organizations’ social-impact platforms, Tiffany Atrium and CFDA Impact. To apply, designers had to submit their résumé and portfolio and share information about their interests and vision.
Applications were evaluated “based on years of proven design experience, concept sketching, experience with digital and hand rendering, 3D CAD design and printing, as well as an ability to design concepts and collections through couture designs and gifts, among other skills,” the CFDA website says.
(Photo courtesy of Malyia McNaughton)
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