2026 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design and Fashion & Culture Grant

The Vilcek Foundation's 2026 Prizes for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design and Fashion & Culture will award six $50,000 prizes to young immigrant professionals. This initiative recognizes early- and mid-career creatives in fields such as fashion design, writing, and styling, highlighting the vital contributions of immigrants to the arts in the U.S. Eligible applicants must have at least five years of experience and intend to pursue their careers in the country.

In 2026, the Vilcek Foundation will award a total of 6 prizes of $50,000 each to young immigrant professionals working in two categories: Fashion & Design, and Fashion & Culture.
Writers, researchers, curators, museum professionals, stylists, image makers, photographers, illustrators, animators, environmental designers, technology designers, materials innovators, makeup artists, hair stylists, and designers working in fashion are encouraged to apply for the 2026 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design and Fashion & Culture.
Eligible Categories
Fashion & Design:Designers including but not exclusive to womenswear, menswear, nonbinary clothing, textile design (including print, embellishment, knitwear, original fabric making for fashion), and accessories including footwear, bags, jewelry, and other artifacts relating to the culture of fashion.Environmental and Technology Designers environmental designers, sustainability experts, eco-conscious creators, and professionals designing wearable technologies.Materials Innovatorsprofessionals who develop new fabrics and innovative textile technologies such as smart textiles, eco-friendly fabrics, and new dyeing/surface application techniques for various sectors including but not exclusive to Uniforms, Athletics, Space, Medical, and Innovative Workwear.Makeup Artists / Hair Stylists experimental artists that push the breadth of materials used to both challenge and communicate perceived beauty ideals through the art and design of makeup or hair.Fashion & Culture:Writers and Researchers including academic (historical, theoretical, and anthropological), journalistic, critical, and editorial.Curators and Museum Professionals including exhibitions, presentations, and displays through real and/or virtual environments. It could include preservation and conservation.Stylists including editorials, advertising campaigns, and fashion presentationsImage Makers including fashion photography, film, animation, illustration, and work in fashion tech.

Eligibility

Applicants must:Have been born outside the United States of America to non-American parentsNot be more than 38 years old as of December 31, 2025 (born on or after January 1, 1987), Exceptions will be made for applicants who were born on January 1, 1985, to December 31, 1986, and who experienced career interruptions due to caregiving, medical, military, or parental leave;Have lived in the United States for at least 4 years (or immigrated to the United States on or before December 31, 2021);Be one of the following: a naturalized citizen or a permanent resident of the United States a H-1B or O-1 visa holder with a valid visa stamp a H-4 visa holder with a valid EAD card a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) relief an asylee or an asylum seeker who has applied for asylum and has a valid EAD cardApplicants may be required to submit a scanned copy of a valid immigration document if their application progresses in the review process. The staff at the Vilcek Foundation will reach out with instructions at the appropriate time.Have at least 5 years of professional experience in fields related to Fashion & Design or Fashion & CultureHave completed at least 3 professional, implemented solo or collective projectsIntend to pursue a career in the United States

Ineligibility

Applicants must not be enrolled as a full-time studentExceptions may apply for some doctoral students who will complete their program this yearApplicants must not be a past recipient of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in any category.Please note that other types of visas including TN, F-1, J-1 visa holders are not eligible for the prize.We do not accept applications from individuals born in the U.S. territories.We do not accept applications from U.S. citizens who were born overseas but are American by birth.