CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winners Announced

On Monday, November 11 the CFDA and Vogue announced the recipients of the tenth annual awards from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (CVFF). The winner and runners-up are:

Winner:

Dao-Yi Chow & Maxwell Osborne, PUBLIC SCHOOL

RUNNERS-UP

Juan Carlos Obando

Marc Alary, MARC ALARY JEWELRY

The winner and runners-up will each meet regularly with an assigned business mentor, based on their specific needs for business expertise and resources; meetings will take place on a monthly or as-needed basis.

Additionally, the winner and runners-up will receive cash prizes-$300,000 for the winner and $100,000 for each of the runners-up. The cash awards are designed to encourage and enable these emerging designers to pursue their design plans. Since its inception in 2004, the program has now granted $3.8 million in total to 30 design companies, including 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Billy Reid, Derek Lam, Eddie Borgo, Jennifer Meyer, Joseph Altuzarra, Monique Péan, Patrik Ervell, Philip Crangi, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Thakoon, The Elder Statesman, Thom Browne.

The CVFF program, in its tenth year, provides financial support and business mentorship for emerging designers and is generously sponsored by partner J.CREW, as well as underwriters American Express, Appleman Foundation, Carolina Herrera, Coach Foundation, kate spade new york, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, thecorner.com, The Limited, The Ralph Bartel Foundation, Theory, Tiffany & Co., Tommy Hilfiger, and Vogue. In addition, for 2013 the fund has added four new underwriters: Lane Bryant, Sycamore Partners, Uniqlo, and Westfield World Trade Center.

"Now that it's in its tenth anniversary, I'm reminded of all the talent that has come from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and look forward to watching the successes of the 2013 winners and finalists. The program has truly cultivated a new generation of American designers," said CFDA CEO Steven Kolb.

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was established in 2003 to help emerging American design talent find continued success in the business of fashion. The CVFF Selection Committee selected ten finalists, whose names were announced in July 2013. They are:

Juan Carlos Obando

Marc Alary, MARC ALARY JEWELRY

Misha Nonoo, NONOO

Shimon Ovadia and Ariel Ovadia, OVADIA & SONS

Jason Jones, PARABELLUM

Dao-Yi Chow & Maxwell Osborne, PUBLIC SCHOOL

Tim Coppens

Todd Snyder

Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin, TOME

Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard, VERONICA BEARD

New to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee are CFDA members and past finalists David Neville and Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone. The members of the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee are:

Ken Downing, Senior VP/ Fashion Director, NEIMAN MARCUS

Mark Holgate, Fashion News Director, Vogue

Jeffrey Kalinsky, Founder, JEFFREY and Executive Vice President of Designer, NORDSTROM

Steven Kolb, CEO, CFDA

Reed Krakoff, President, Executive Creative Director, REED KRAKOFF; Former President, Executive Creative Director, COACH

Jenna Lyons, President, Executive Creative Director, J.CREW

David Neville and Marcus Wainwright, Managing Partners, RAG & BONE

Andrew Rosen, Founder and CEO, THEORY

Diane von Furstenberg, President, CFDA

Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief, Vogue

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund also provides ongoing mentorship and support to all of the finalists through its Business Advisory Committee. The resource is for guidance and targeted feedback on these designers' future potential and growth in the business. The members of the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Business Advisory Committee are:

Rodrigo Bazan, ALEXANDER WANG

Caroline Brown, CAROLINA HERRERA

Linda Heasley, LANE BRYANT

Mark Holgate, Vogue

Stefan Kaluzny, SYCAMORE PARTNERS

François Kress, THE ROW

Federico Marchetti, YOOX GROUP

Andrew Rosen, THEORY LLC

Daniella Vitale, BARNEYS NEW YORK

Wen Zhou, 3.1 PHILLIP LIM

To be eligible for the CVFF, an applicant must: 1) have a primary design business in the United States that has been in existence for a minimum of two consecutive years; 2) be a designer of demonstrable talent, as evidenced through substantial and recent editorial coverage, and have support (i.e., orders) from key retailers; and 3) have professional staff (paid and volunteer) that can devote the time and effort required to accomplish the stated aims of an applicant's design career plans.

ABOUT THE CFDA/VOGUE FASHION FUND:

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was established to help emerging American design talent find continued success in the business of fashion. With growing industry support, in 2010 the prize was raised to $300,000 for the winner and $100,000 to the two runners-up. It is expected that the awards will be used to further develop each designer's business in such areas as marketing, public relations, production, and sales. In addition to the cash prizes, the award also includes mentorship from an esteemed group of industry professionals whose expertise is tailored to the designers' needs and future goals. Past mentors include Howard Socol, Rose Marie Bravo, Millard "Mickey" Drexler, Mark Lee, Maureen Chiquet, and Domenico de Sole.

Since its inception in 2004, the program has granted $3.8 million to 30 design companies, including winners The Elder Statesman, Joseph Altuzarra, Billy Reid, Sophie Theallet, Alexander Wang, Rogan, and Proenza Schouler, and runners-up Jennifer Meyer, Tabitha Simmons, Pamela Love, Creatures of the Wind, Eddie Borgo, Prabal Gurung, Monique Péan, Patrik Ervell, Albertus Swanepoel, Vena Cava, Philip Crangi, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rodarte, Thakoon, Thom Browne, Derek Lam, and Alexandre Plokhov.

In 2007, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund created a separate Business Advisory Committee to review the applications of the ten CVFF Finalists (independently of the Selection Committee) with the intent of providing a more focused business perspective and targeted feedback on the designers' future potential in the business. The Business Advisory Committee will also be available to the seven finalists (who are not chosen as winners/runners-up) as an ongoing resource for mentoring, questions and answers, and guidance.