Though designer Tom Ford only became chairman of the CFDA in March this year, he has already made some pretty notable changes.

Shortening the length of New York Fashion Week to five days and five nights made fashion headlines last month, but now, he has decided to shake things up internally. This morning, it was announced that he had appointed Louis Vuitton’s Virgil Abloh and Pyer Moss’s Kerby Jean-Raymond as new board members of the CDFA.

Ford, who took the position of chairman from Diane Von Furstenberg, made the changes following criticism that the institution lacked diversity. Alongside Abloh and Jean-Raymond, designers Maria Cornejo and Carly Cushnie have also been appointed. 

Before the four new appointees took their seats, only five board members were people of colour. Creating a more diverse panel was a top priority for Ford. “Rearranging the board so that it is more diverse in age and more diverse in every way… Lots of people voiced a concern that the board, and the CFDA, was not diverse enough,” the American designer told WWD.  

The designers will assume the seats vacated by Kara Ross, Georgina Chapman, Marcus Wainwright, and Mimi So, all of whom have been shifted to non-voting emeritus status. The new additions will join members including of Ralph Lauren, Ashley Olsen, and Vera Wang.