Celebrating 10 Years In A New Book, VFILES Foundation Looks To Break More Rules

Monday, May 23, 2022, the fashion disruptor and the open door for many young artists, creators, and fashionistas, VFILES, hosted a dinner that foreshadows the next generation of VFILES fashion alum through the charitable efforts initiated by its VFILES Foundation. This time, VFILES and its Foundation are changing how non-profit organizations educate, support, and promote talent.

VFILES has been chronicling its journey in fashion as a platform for younger and newer talent to gather the experience needed to thrive in the fashion industry. Since 2012, the fashion retailer and brand has offered numerous opportunities for designers to showcase their talent, one of which is a highlight of the company, the VFILES Runway show. The moments from the days and nights at the retail space located at 12 Mercer Street in Soho, New York, are also the memories made that represent the ethos of VFILES. The VFILES sartorial influence is laid out in color and found in a new coffee table book, VFILES: Style, Fashion, Music, that shares intimate moments of young creators at their most unassuming and most creative.

The VFILES Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded under VFILES in 2020, a pivotal year for fashion as Covid slowed business temporarily. Opportunities for the entire industry, especially those with limited resources from underserved communities, were hindered.

The VFILES Foundation will provide the resources necessary to reimagine the fashion industry and redefine the world fashion exists in. These designated resources give Generation Z and Generation Alpha an entry point into the fashion ecosystem. The information and support intend to foster brands that have meaning while introducing them to a new generation of conscious consumers.

Through VFILES, this innovative and inclusive community programming will offer a span of incubators, educational curriculums, grants, research, development, and policy. The programs include; DISCOVERY PLATFORM, COMMUNITY, and LAB. These are the pillars of opportunity that intend to propel the culture forward. In a public statement, VFILES claims that its “mission is to increase business ownership for Creators in underrepresented communities (BIPOC, Women, LGBTQ+) through seed grants, mentorship, training, and exposure.”

The VFILES Lab is an incubator for young creators, providing grants and marketing as necessary for their growth as artists. As a non-profit, VFILES invites participants through an application process to receive access to non-dilutive capital, mentorship committee access, field expert pairings, educational workshops, networking events, and office hours with the board, access to leadership council and advisors.

With free, accessible online education programs, VFILES COMMUNITY will offer advocacy and awareness efforts that will amplify creative talents throughout fashion, music, arts, and other cultural avenues. Programming for narrative change with novel leaders is an example of what will be at the helm of VFILES and its entry into areas like Web3 and the NFT fashion market.

VFILES is always moving at its own pace, adding music to its reputation and inviting talent like A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, and Atrak to perform at the infamous retail space that is known to occasionally disturbs the neighbors and at other events. These moments that encompass the VFILES spirit are captured in its new coffee table book. The Pass the Aux programming is one of the platforms for discovery VFILES promotes as a playlist of artists that are in sync with the company.

As young artists continue to create, VFILES has relentlessly used its platform to make names for young and underserved talent. The DISCOVERY pillar is the culmination of the other two – where each participant has the opportunity to engage with and impress the fashion world. The VFILES Runway has been an open door for designers, stylists, photographers, and the many artists, creators, and builders that take part in putting on one of the most anticipated fashion shows to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“VFILES is known to break the rules, and together we can make a huge change,” Julie Anne Quay, the founder, and CEO of VFILES and author of its new book says in a dining room full of influencers in fashion, music, tech, business, and finance. The hope is that this level of influence can break the rules of yesterday that created numerous barriers for young creators. “The VFILES Foundation’s mission is to revolutionize the talent pipeline for the next generation of artists and business leaders in the music, fashion, and creative industries,” Quay establishes in a statement post the dinner evening.

“We know that creatives who are women, people of color, and members of LGBTQ+ communities face distinct challenges that stem from systems, structures, and practices designed to exclude and preclude them from being successful.” Quay concludes and makes clear that her intent with VFILES is “to interrupt the status quo by giving the opportunity to a community of creators and future leaders that have been shut out and need a chance.”