Happy 250, America! Vogue and the CFDA Present the United Flags of Fashion

How does an industry like fashion celebrate America’s 250th birthday? As the possibilities are almost as large and endless as the country itself, Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) went to the industry’s makers in search of their unique perspectives. “As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, I am reflecting on the ideals the nation was founded on: courage, optimism, freedom, and opportunity,” said Tory Burch. “It’s a time to honor not only how far we have come, but also our collective responsibility to continue building a more inclusive and hopeful future.”

In partnership with the national nonpartisan organization America250 and Rockefeller Center, Vogue and the CFDA are presenting the United Flags of Fashion. The project tapped a diverse array of American designers, inviting them to reinterpret the flags of each of the USA’s states and territories—along with Washington, DC—for a total of over 120 flags, all of which will be revealed with a takeover at the Rink at Rockefeller Center. The flags will fly over the landmark space from July 27 through September 4—but before that big celebration next month, they were photographed by Don Brodie for Vogue’s Summer Issue.

IN STITCHES A quilt featuring Ralph Lauren’s riff on the Colorado flag, Emily Adams Bode Aujla’s Georgia, and Maria Cornejo’s New Mexico catches the offshore breeze on a Maine beach.

“This moment in history provides us with a unique chance to honor the imagination, ingenuity, and diversity that embody the American spirit,” said Steven Kolb, CEO and President of the CFDA. “Fashion has long contributed to our nation’s story—showcasing its resilience, celebrating individuality, and influencing cultures—and the CFDA is proud to be a part of the America250 celebration.” Participating designers include: Altuzarra, Amiri, APL, Bode, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Chloe Gosselin, Christopher John Rogers, Coach, Cult Gaia, Diane Von Furstenberg, Diotima, Donna Karan, Gabriela Hearst, Gap Inc., Kenneth Cole, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Tommy Hilfiger, Tory Burch, TWP, and Willy Chavarria.

Much like crafting a runway collection, each flag was deeply informed by its designer’s specific lens, with the process wonderfully illuminated by the different ways creators think. Diane Von Furstenberg opted to celebrate “the power of kindness” with her “bold, eclectic, and fun” Connecticut flag. Diotima and Proenza Schouler’s Rachel Scott, who designed a flag for the US Virgin Islands, wanted something conceptual and referenced a Caribbean “intellectual tradition that holds opacity as a form of resistance.” “Diotima is rooted in the idea that the Caribbean produces its own ways of seeing and meaning—that there is a visual language native to these islands, and their people, that doesn’t need to look elsewhere for legitimacy,” Scott said. “The flag comes from that same place.” Zac Posen, executive vice president and creative director for Gap Inc. and chief creative officer for Old Navy, likewise took an abstract approach for California, the state where the New Yorker now spends half his time, and honed in on denim as an iconic textile of the Gold Rush and the American West. “GapStudio is artisanal and idea-driven, often beginning with hand-led creative processes,” Posen said. “The patchworked denim composition celebrates craft, texture, and construction while honoring the enduring connection between California, denim, and American style.”

Coach’s Stuart Vevers looked to “expressive, personal, and uniquely American” aspects of 19th-century patchwork quilts for Nevada. “Nevada has such a strong sense of character and mythology, from its wild horses to its association with UFO sightings, so we reinterpreted those symbols alongside prairie florals from the Coach archive and lyrics from the state’s official song,” he said. These influences and stories blended to create something entirely new. Tory Burch similarly highlighted this aspect for her home state of Pennsylvania, where she grew up with Pennsylvania Dutch quilts in her childhood home. Her flag incorporates a reimagined version of the Liberty Bell, with a star representing freedom and democratic ideals. “Pennsylvania is where the American story began,” Burch said. “I wanted to capture the craftsmanship, perseverance, and optimism that define the state, and the belief that progress is always possible through creativity, community, and hard work.” Fellow Pennsylvanian Thom Browne echoed that sentiment, noting that Pennsylvania is the state “where everything started.” Naturally, his flag comes in his signature gray.

DEEP STATES “If you think about history, there’s always fashion in the background,” says Kolb. This quilt, set against a Colorado backdrop, features—to name just a few—Calvin Klein’s minimalist ode to New York, Coach’s homage to Nevada’s lassos (and UFOs), and Willy Chavarria’s Chicano-influenced take on the California flag. Visit CFDA.com for more information.

For New York, a locus of both American fashion in general and the United Flags of Fashion project, three iconic New York brands—Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors—each offered their own vision. Hilfiger’s draws from the brand’s red, white, and blue logo, blending his upstate upbringing with the “the optimistic spirit of sailing culture.” Similarly, Long Island-born Michael Kors touched on the state’s diversity of landscape: “The goal was to capture the full range of New York’s natural beauty,” he said. “It’s incredible that one state contains the engineered brilliance of New York City and the wilderness of the Adirondacks, the tranquility of Montauk and the charm of Lake Placid.” Calvin Klein honored its Bronx-born founder’s trademark minimalist approach, crafting both a modern and timeless expression of New York City. Klein’s Bronx neighbor Ralph Lauren looked west to Colorado and his first perception of the wild, rugged cowboys he watched in cinemas as a kid. Now the state is a second home for him, a place representative of America’s prodigious possibilities.

Vogue also has its own flag, designed by artist Hazel Zavala, who is also the Art Director of Vogue US and Mexico. The flag is a reinterpretation of the United States of America banner, and draws from the national heritage of quiltmaking. For their own flags, the CFDA and Rockefeller Center commissioned illustrator Ruben Toledo and Nell Diamond, founder and CEO of Hill House Home, respectively. “The flags are a reminder of how creativity and making beautiful things are twin sources of national pride,” said Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue. “All the fashion designers we spoke to were thrilled to make flags, and they took to the project joyfully—and the result is a tribute to the country’s anniversary that we can all be proud of.”

For the full list of participating designers, see CFDA.com.