Saks Names Designer Accelerator Program Participants in Class of 2024
Saks has revealed the Class of 2024 participants in its designer accelerator program, The New Wave at Saks.
Presented by Mastercard, the program is now in its fourth year and has graduated 24 brands to date. It is aimed at developing and supporting independent brands in accelerating their growth within the fashion and retail industries.
The new class includes:
- Nicholas Daley: A contemporary menswear brand that intertwines its founder’s personal narrative with wider Black British and diasporic themes.
- Glass Cypress: Luxury menswear brand founded by brothers Saber and Samee Ahmed that highlights new artisan techniques in dyeing, quilting and construction.
- Róhe: An Amsterdam-based brand and atelier by Marieke Meulendijks and Maickel Weyers that explores contemporary shapes through distinct design elements and precise silhouettes.
- Neous (launching at Saks.com in the fall): A sculptural footwear and handbag collection by Vanissa Antonious that blends the lines of femininity and minimalism.
“We’re thrilled to welcome four standout brands, Róhe, Neous, Nicholas Daley and Glass Cypress into the 2024 class of the New Wave at Saks,” said Roopal Patel, senior vice president, fashion director at Saks. “Each of these designers were hand-selected by our team for their unique talent, perspective and significant growth potential. We’re incredibly proud to platform and elevate the next generation of design talent through the New Wave program, and we look forward to supporting the brands’ growth within Saks and the wider community.”
This year’s participants were sourced from all merchandise categories, identified by Saks leadership as having significant growth potential. As part of Saks’ mission to provide exposure, education and equitable access to opportunities for success, half of the participants represent groups that have been historically underrepresented within the industry.
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Each brand will participate in a six-month program, including an orientation, mentorship and consulting services, entrepreneurial workshops and industry roundtables to gain the skills and insights needed to scale their businesses at Saks and beyond. Brands will also be eligible to receive a $10,000 grant to support their business operations and growth.
Mastercard will host a roundtable session to provide participating brands an overview and access to its Digital Doors program, including exclusive resources and tools aimed to help small businesses further grow and digitally enhance their online presence.
United Airlines is the official travel partner for the program this year. As part of its partnership with Saks, United will host a competition for this year’s participants to design a refreshed Saks Fifth Avenue day blanket that will appear on board United Polaris flights in 2025. United will additionally provide the above-mentioned grant to the designer of the winning design.
Each of the designers will have an opportunity to be supported by multiple Saks leaders over the course of the program with functional expertise to support their specific needs such as digital, sales, financial strategy and merchandising. Complementary office hours with consultants specializing in scaling and supporting brands from Launch Collective [an external agency that offers consulting services for New Wave participants] will be available for each designer in the program. Throughout the program, Saks will schedule a series of roundtable sessions with industry experts and designers. Designers in the program have ongoing access to workshops that support small business know-how from a range of industry experts and partners, as well as the opportunity to utilize subsidized access to Skypad, a web-based reporting app for buyers and brands to access weekly product and location level sell-through insights.
Each brand will also receive marketing support including Saks.com site content exposure, multivendor email inclusion, multivendor New York flagship window and visual moments, dedicated clienteling and training including product knowledge and training for Style Advisors.
