Saks Designer Accelerator Program Explained

The New Wave program is designed to support independent brands with significant growth potential. These brands are identified by Saks’ leadership team and are provided with additional support to help scale their businesses.

The program also aims to amplify racially and ethnically diverse voices, aligning with Saks’ commitment to increasing representation in its merchandise assortment. Since its inception, at least half of the program participants have been racially and ethnically diverse brands.

Mastercard has consistently sponsored The New Wave at Saks, hosting dedicated roundtable sessions to provide designers with an overview and access to the Mastercard Digital Doors® program. This includes exclusive digital resources, tools to help small businesses grow and enhance their online presence, and one-on-one mentorship.

This year’s New Wave program included an onboarding bootcamp at Saks’ corporate headquarters in New York City, cross-functional advisory sessions with leaders from key areas across the Saks business, and roundtable sessions with noteworthy industry experts and designers…