Rachel Dooley Gives Us the Lowdown on the CFDA Fashion Incubator

As she moves out, the Gemma Redux designer shares her experience.

Towards the end of 2009, Rachel Dooley of the jewelry line Gemma Redux happened upon an ad in WWD from the CFDA, detailing its new two-year program called the Fashion Incubator. The aim: to foster the next generation of fashion designers—to wrangle studio space, mentor them, and help their businesses grow. Rachel didn’t know if she had a chance in hell, but she did know what the support of the CFDA would do for her brand. So she went for it and, after a rigorous application process, was chosen along with lines like Prabal Gurung and House of Waris. She opens up about how she spent the last two years, with pics of her space on West 38th Street. —lydia woolever



“When I say, ‘They picked 12 U.S.-based fashion designers to go onto the next round of…’ that sounds like Project Runway, but it’s entirely different from that. It’s not like school. It’s the lifestyle of a regular designer; we’re just housed differently.”



“The space is urban minimalist: one big floor that feels like a luxurious version of a trade show. There are six glass-front studios on each side of a long hallway. It’s open for people to come in and out—designers, visiting editors or buyers, the press—and inside, everyone brands their space as their own. Some are very Zen. We blare music.”



“Our mentors are the top people in their fields of the industry—development, merchandising, PR. They bring in big-time designers and sit us down with DVF or Robert Lee Morris and let us pick their brains. DVF told us the story about how her brand failed, and she had to pick herself up and start over. As a designer, you have moments where you’re not sure it’s going to work. But she made me realize that if it doesn’t, there are ways to fix it.”



“Almost every aspect of my business has changed. We became a company as opposed to me making and doing everything. My mentors said, ‘If you’re going to be at the top of this field, you have to continually give newness.’ So during the Incubator, my collections were total experimentations— you need to spread your wings like that. Our design and aesthetic are infinitely more solid and thoughtful as a result.”



“We’re wrapping things up, and the new class is about to come in. I hate to see this incredible opportunity end, but, in the same breath, I’m ready. It’s time to flex our muscles and let the brand go. It’s kind of like high school graduation: What we’re doing has been really fun, but we’re ready for the next thing.”

To see where Rachel’s line is now, score one of her latest creations: a (sustainable) coral and gold necklace that she made just for Of a Kind.