Leave it to fashion designers to look at a flag and think: This could use a makeover. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, CFDA designers swapped stars and stripes for florals, patchwork, and Texas bluebonnets across more than 120 flags representing the 50 states, five territories, and Washington, DC, offering fresh takes on the flags’ classic symbols. (Sometimes, multiple designers tackled the same flag.) For Diotima and Proenza Schouler designer Rachel Scott, the U.S. Virgin Islands called for “the Caribbean visual tradition, rather than the colonial administrative one,” while Zac Posen looked to denim as “a symbol of American style and individuality” for California. Elsewhere, Thom Browne rendered Pennsylvania in gray monochrome and Norma Kamali distilled Massachusetts down to a pair of red socks.
For a taste of Americana with a fashion bent, viewers can travel to see the 120 custom flags flying high on the flagpoles framing Rockefeller Center, available for public viewing through Sept. 4, 2026 and will later be donated to the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. For CULTURED, 16 of the talents behind the initiative “United Flags of Fashion” shared the inspirations and personal memories that grounded their designs.
U.S. Virgin Islands: Rachel Scott, Diotima
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
I wanted a flag for the Virgin Islands that felt specific to the Caribbean visual tradition, rather than the colonial administrative one. The diagonal is a rupture—it refuses the horizontal order of flags designed to represent territories rather than people. The flag represents the land, the sea, and the people.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
A black diagonal band cuts across the flag from lower left to upper right, with a red diagonal band layered on top and offset slightly—the black just visible beneath it, like a foundation. Together, the bands divide the flag into two remaining fields: green in the upper left, deep sea blue in the lower right, and the interplay of black and red holding the center. There are no symbols or emblems—just the weight of four colors held in tension against each other.
California: Zac Posen, GapStudio
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
I was deeply inspired by California, and wanted to create something that not only highlights the people, but the different landscapes and cultures there as well. I also wanted to incorporate denim, which is deeply embedded in California’s DNA and a symbol of American style and individuality.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
I knew that I wanted to build off a denim concept, rather than recreate California’s actual flag. Using denim as my foundation, I leaned into an artisanal approach. The different washes, fades, and seams of patchwork denim make the fabric so expressive and dimensional—an homage to the openness and layered identity of California.
South Dakota: Meruert Tolegen
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
The flag draws inspiration from South Dakota’s state flower, the American pasque flower, as well as traditional hand-stitching techniques and a lace textile from our archive. Together, these elements reflect our brand’s commitment to craftsmanship, handwork, and the beauty found in natural forms.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
We focused on expressing South Dakota through its state flower and translating it into our own visual language. By layering the flower over lace and incorporating red stitched details, we transformed the flag into a textile-inspired work that celebrates craftsmanship, creativity, and the natural character of the state.
Pennsylvania: Thom Browne
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
I wanted to pay homage to Pennsylvania in its truest form, my way… taking the classic and timeless state crest and bringing it to my world, all in gray.
What does the state mean to you?
It’s where everything started.
Georgia: Wes Gordon, Carolina Herrera
Rhode Island: Batsheva Hay
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
My inspirations for the flag of Rhode Island were flowers, since all my memories in Rhode Island are of beautiful floral nature, and chintz, which come to mind from all the great upholstery and curtains I recall from the mansions of Newport.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
I loved that the flag had the word “hope” and an anchor motif, something forward-looking and also rooted in history. I kept those and just lifted it up with a splash of flowers.
Oregon: Joseph Altuzarra
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
The starting point was Oregon’s natural landscape. I was inspired by its forests, wildflowers, and native wildlife, the sense that nature is part of the state’s identity. Rather than depicting a single landmark, I wanted to create an imagined Oregon landscape that brought together its flora and fauna into one tableau.
I was also inspired by the tradition of vintage, printed scarves. I’ve always loved how scarf prints can tell stories through intricate borders, botanical illustrations, and layered motifs. That felt like a fitting language for celebrating Oregon’s richness while giving the flag a timeless, heirloom quality.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
Instead of redesigning the emblem, I chose to reinterpret the world around it. We created an intricate, vintage-inspired landscape print featuring Oregon’s flora and fauna, transforming the field of the flag into something that feels alive and deeply connected to the state’s natural environment.
We kept the original typography, the placement of the text, and the state crest, printing them directly over the landscape. That juxtaposition creates a dialogue between Oregon’s history and its defining natural beauty. The result is a flag that remains immediately recognizable, while expressing the state through a softer, more poetic lens, one that celebrates Oregon’s unique landscape and enduring relationship with nature.
Texas: Bach Mai
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
Our wildflowers hold a special place in the hearts of Texans everywhere, especially the bluebonnet, the iconic state flower, which features prominently here. For this design, I wanted to bring the symbols of Texas together and interpret them through the perspective of the brand, which itself is rooted in Texas glamour and femininity.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
The design for this flag features a five-pointed star nestled amongst Texas wildflowers, lensed through the artistic hand of watercolor.
Wisconsin: Tanner Richie, Tanner Fletcher
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
I wanted my redesign of the Wisconsin flag to feel like vintage tourist ephemera. Many of those designs had a watercolor or hand-drawn feeling, which is what I wanted to convey in the redesign.
Minnesota: Fletcher Kasell, Tanner Fletcher
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
Similarly to Tanner’s design, I also pulled inspiration from vintage tourist ephemera. But instead of watercolor, I wanted to evoke a backwoods, summer camp vibe. This mainly came from using the pine tree reference and log-like fonts.
Maine: Alexis Bittar
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
My main inspiration was Maine’s original flag, which was designed in 1901. I wanted to build on that design by incorporating symbols that I have always associated with Maine. I have spent my summers there since I was three years old, so the state has always held a special place in my life.
For me, one of the most beautiful things about Maine is its countryside, with the farms that dot the landscape and the people who inhabit them. And, of course, there’s the lobster.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
The pine tree, Maine’s official state tree, is at the center of the flag, just as it was on the original design. I wanted to bring back the original flag because of its simplicity. Rather than completely re-creating the 1901 design, I wanted to preserve the history of Maine’s flag while adding some quintessential aspects of the state that make it uniquely Maine.
Massachusetts: Norma Kamali
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
I was given Massachusetts. When I think of Massachusetts, I think of the Boston Red Sox, as do most people—especially folks from Massachusetts. So a pair of red socks seemed the most obvious graphic.
Ohio: Ashley Moubayed, Don’t Let Disco
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
Two things really anchored the flag for me. First, there was the idea of Ohio as a place of quiet accumulation—stories, labor, care—all happening away from spectacle. I wanted to translate that into something tactile, where meaning builds bead-by-bead rather than being declared all at once.
Second, there was a feminine reframing of Americana: softening the visual language of power into something more intimate and relational. Very personally, the constellation of three stars comes from my own lineage—myself and my two sisters—so there’s a thread of sisterhood running through the entire piece.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
In reimagining the flag, I wasn’t interested in erasing its identity so much as shifting its emotional register. I kept the swallowtail silhouette and the blue field as a gesture of continuity, but reworked the palette by dissolving that assertive red into a range of warm pinks and tonal variations that feel more nuanced and alive.
The stars became less about command and more about connection, and the surface itself moved from flat graphic to something dimensional through upcycled trade beads and freshwater pearls. It turns the flag into something you don’t just read at a distance—you’re drawn closer into it, into its texture, its light, and its sense of memory.
New Hampshire: Kim Shui
What served as the inspiration for the flag you designed?
The Kim Shui redesign of the New Hampshire flag reimagines the state seal through a feminine, bold lens using vibrant pink florals, gold detailing, and a tie-dye print. The flag preserves the iconic ship and laurel wreath while transforming the overall design into something more celebratory, youthful, and visually expressive.
Arkansas: Ashlynn Park, Ashlyn
What served as the inspirations for the flag you designed?
The flag began with the idea of the bridge as both a physical structure and a symbolic one. I was inspired by elements of the landscape that support everyday life without demanding attention. Bridges represent connection, resilience, and the continual movement between people, places, and generations.
I was also drawn to Arkansas itself: its rivers, expansive landscapes, and the balance between nature and the built environment. Rather than focusing on a single landmark, I wanted to express the state’s enduring spirit through a universal architectural form.
Vermont: Presley Oldham
What served as the inspirations for the flag you designed?
When thinking of Vermont, the maple leaf is an iconic symbol that comes to mind. We wanted to capture a snapshot of their stunning fall foliage, and showcase the array of colors that the leaves pass through from summer to fall. The extra pop of color from the border of stripes was inspired by the sunrises and sunsets I’ve been lucky to see in Vermont.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag?
I love the simplicity of Vermont’s original flag and wanted my interpretation to embrace that same simplicity. Vermont’s stunning landscapes are seen on both the original and our reimagining, which I designed with my partner, Tyler Paige. I was excited to reinterpret the state’s natural beauty in my own way.
Hawaii: Ana Khouri
What served as the inspirations for the flag you designed?
I was inspired by Hawaii’s extraordinary natural beauty: its ocean, forests, volcanic landscapes, and remarkable biodiversity. I was also drawn to the eight Hawaiian Islands and their official natural symbols, celebrating both the unique identity of each island and their deep connection as one archipelago.
How did you reimagine the visuals of the flag you were invited to work on?
I wanted to celebrate Hawaii through its natural world. A vibrant ocean connects the eight islands, each placed in its geographic location and paired with its official floral symbol. The design reflects the diversity, beauty, and unity of the Hawaiian archipelago, using color, texture, and form to express the relationship between the islands and the landscape that defines them.
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