Photo: Timo Weiland via WWD

Two years ago the CFDA introduced a pretty novel idea—a fashion incubator. They took over an entire floor of a garment district building in New York and offered a handful of young design upstarts the chance to move in. Their rent would be subsidized, they’d benefit from a community atmosphere and, when lucky, industry veterans coming and going in the new space. Now it’s time for the first group, including Prabal Gurung, Bibhu Mohapatra, Alice Ritter and Waris Ahluwalia, to move out and make way for the next round of designers. In May, the following designers will take up residence inside the incubator: Antonio Azzuolo, Arielle Shapiro, the Burkman Brothers, Christian Cota, Emanuela Duca, Ricky Hendry and Marc Daniels (who design Isaora together), Luis M. Fernandez, Reece Solomon (of Reece Hudson), The Lake & Stars and Timo Weiland. Target’s renewing their contract to sponsor the space and NYU’s Stern School of Business will give the designers a chance to partner with MBA students on finance and business plans. The CEO of FashInvest, which pairs young designers with suitable investors, calls the program the “holy grail of incubation. They have it all, from real estate at a discount to mentoring of firms in the targeted area. It’s the mentorship in the long term that can really move these businesses along.”