>> Alexander Wang is experiencing quite the winning streak — he was awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund of $200,000 last November, the 2009 CFDA Swarovski Womenswear winner this past June, and now he's taking home the 2009 Swiss Textiles Award, a prize of about $150,000, to go towards international development.  Wang becomes the second American designer in a row to win the Swiss Textiles Award, following after Rodarte, who were the first American winners ever last year.

The jury this year, chaired by Isabel Toledo, apparently had a tough time making a decision — Wang's fellow finalists this year were Peter Pilotto, Erdem, Thakoon, Alexis Mabille, and Ohne Titel, who will each receive a prize of approximately $6,000.

Before the winners were announced yesterday, past winners including Raf Simons, Marios Schwab, Haider Ackermann, Bruno Pieters, Christian Wijnants, and Rodarte's Laura and Kate Mulleavy participated in a panel discussion. Among the quotables produced, courtesy of Kate Mulleavy: "Our Dad said if we used our own last name for our brand, we might be mistaken for an Irish pub."  And from Raf Simons's corner: "I never want to be independent any more. Ever. Ever . . . If you want to work alone, become an artist. Fashion is about working in a team."