fashionologie

Designers Disappointed by CFDA's Impending Relocation

Christina Perez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:47:54 PST

>> The CFDA has decided to move from its current location in the Garment District to a new residence in downtown Manhattan, leaving some New York designers none too pleased. "We are extremely disappointed by the CFDA's decision to leave the Garment Center," said Nanette LePore, whose husband, Bob Savage, has been a staunch proponent of the Save the Garment Center campaign. "We only hope this does not signal the end of their previous support for New York City manufacturing and emerging American designers."

For its part, the CFDA has stressed that the decision has nothing to do with a lack of support for the Garment District, a neighborhood the CFDA has always championed. "We are not abandoning anything," The CFDA's chief executive officer, Steven Kolb, told WWD. "We considered buildings in the Garment District significantly in our search. The criteria by which we were finding space was ultimately based not on neighborhood, but what the best space for a functioning office for the CFDA was." Kolb went on to say that the Council had outgrown its current space, adding "we are busting out of the seams."

CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg echoed the sentiment: "We needed a very large space so we can have board meetings and clinics there. We found a great space with a great deal, and that's that. We looked for a long time." Von Furstenberg added that she will always think of the CFDA as "the soul of the Garment District."

The CFDA has signed a 10-year lease at its new location at Bleecker Street and Broadway, with plans to move this Summer.
Above: the CFDA's Steven Kolb and Diane von Furstenberg. Getty

New York and London Agree to Fashion Week Date Change

Christina Perez — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:00:52 PST

>> The Spring 2013 Fashion Week date dispute finally seems to be settling down. In order to accommodate Milan's recent push for an earlier schedule, New York and London have agreed to shift the dates of their own Sept. 2012 shows. New York Fashion Week will now take place Sept. 6 through 13, with London following from Sept. 14 to 18.

"We've been back and forth on this. People are anxious and need to know the dates. There's no value for the cities to compete. In the spirit of working together, London and New York are in agreement that we will go in the earlier period, but with the hope that the four cities will come out of this confusion and work together to plan future show weeks. We need to begin to look at the fashion season not as individual fashion weeks, but very much as a global business," The CFDA's Steven Kolb, explained.

Spring 2013 Milan Fashion Week will take place Sept. 18 to 25, with Paris starting Sept. 25 and finishing the season October 2.

Altuzarra Takes Home the Big Prize at the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards

fashionologie — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:17:43 PST

>> Last night at Skylight studios in New York, the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners were announced. Joseph Altuzarra, a favorite the past two years running, took home this year's prize - $300,000 and a year-long mentorship. But the impact of the award lasts much longer than a year, CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg explained: "Once you are in the Fashion Fund, we will protect you and continue to provide you with opportunities.” Pamela Love and Creature of the Wind's Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters were named runners-up, collecting $100,000 each.

Calvin Klein gave this year's keynote speech, focusing on his own days as a young designer. “I started out with less money than probably all of you nominees tonight,” he told the crowd. Of coming up in the '60s and ’70s, he noted: “I dealt with truck men, unions, and gangsters. I got a call from the Gambinos one day, telling me, ‘We are your truck men.’”

Altuzarra's friend and the 2008 Fashion Fund winner, Alexander Wang, told him to "just zone out" during Klein's speech, and just before Rooney Mara announced Altuzarra as winner, von Furstenberg went over to the designer's table, pinched his cheek, and asked him something in French. “She asked me if I went to pee,” Altuzarra told The New York Times. When the announcement finally came, Altuzarra told the audience, “I’m so grateful and humbled.” Love, while accepting her award, announced: “I didn’t prepare anything because I didn’t expect this - and I’m shaking!” before running backstage to hug her fiancé, Matthew Nelson. And Gabier said to the crowd, “You’ve made us really happy and we hope to make you really proud.”

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Watch This Year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Nominees Give the Judges Studio Tours

fashionologie — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:38:38 PDT

>> In the newest video that follows the ten 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists through competition, studio tours are given to the judges, cameos are made during Fashion's Night Out, and tense moments are shown backstage during the recent Spring 2012 shows. [Vogue.com]

Scenes From the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Fashion Show

fashionologie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:09:38 PDT

>> The final challenge of this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund competition - a fashion show by all 10 finalists at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles - took place last Thursday. “You’re never really a spectator at your own show, so it’s an amazing experience," said second-time finalist Joseph Altuzarra. "I wasn’t so much looking at the girls as at people’s reactions in the audience.”

Ryan Murphy, Bee Shaffer's current boss - both were in attendance - revealed another project Altuzarra has on his plate: designing some costumes for Murphy’s new movie based on Larry Kramer’s play, The Normal Heart.

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Watch This Year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Nominees Present to the Judges

fashionologie — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:06:15 PDT

>> In the vein of Seamless, Vogue is documenting this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund competition amongst the 10 nominees: a.a., Altuzarra, Carlos Campos, Creatures of the Wind, Cushnie et Ochs, Finn Jewelry, Fenton/Fallon, Ohne Titel, Pamela Love, and Suno. The most recent video, below, follows each designer as they present before a judge panel that includes Anna Wintour, Jenna Lyons, Reed Krakoff, Proenza Schouler, and Andrew Rosen. [Vogue.com]

Diane von Furstenberg, CFDA Recommend Carding Models for Age; Michael Kors on Models Under 16

fashionologie — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:00:08 PDT

>> Just before last season, CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg encouraged designers to forego hiring models under 16; however, after her show last season, von Furstenberg discovered that she had hired 15-year-old Hailey Clauson to walk, and subsequently issued an apology.

This season, von Furstenberg and the CFDA are taking preventative measures further, recommending that models produce a valid ID on the show day, ensuring that they are a minimum of 16 years old. “The casting agents for the Diane von Furstenberg show will be doing this and we encourage others to do the same,” the letter which von Furstenberg and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb sent out yesterday, stated. It also noted that all top model agencies had pledged not to send models under 16 for shows.

Von Furstenberg is not the only major New York designer who has had issues with model-age confusion. Michael Kors tells Lauren Hutton in the new issue of Interview: "I still think it’s weird when models come in on go-sees. I don’t understand how anyone can think that a model is a mannequin. I like to think of them as just women ... When they come in, I’m always like, 'Where are you from? Tell me about your life.' That’s the first thing I say. We were laughing, though, because two seasons ago, I said, 'You know what? These girls we’re seeing are too young. They are children.' It’s silly ... I said two years ago, 'No models under 16.' Well, of course, right after I said that, we started seeing all of these girls from Eastern Europe, and every girl who’d walk in, you’d say, 'Hi. What’s your name?' And she’d be like, 'I’m Svetlana.' I’m like, 'Svetlana, where are you from?' 'Ukraine.' 'Svetlana, how old are you?' '16.' Next girl walks in - she’s from Eastern Europe and 16. Next one? Eastern European and 16. I was like, 'Was there a bus?' But I still think it’s a tricky thing because no matter how beautiful you might be at 15 or 16, the simple truth is that you haven’t lived enough to really know how to project anything in a photograph. It’s like a kind of blank beauty."

Eddie Borgo, Monique Pean Receive CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Grants from Tiffany & Co

fashionologie — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:22:17 PDT

>> As part of a new, three-year partnership between the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and Tiffany & Co. to support emerging jewelry designers, Monique Pean and Eddie Borgo were awarded grants - Pean received $150,000 and Borgo received $100,000. All nine jewelry designers who have been named CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists since the fund's inception in 2004 were eligible to apply for the grant; each was required to submit statements on their brand’s creative vision, their current collection, and their brand's financial information - including intended use for the grant.

The 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Announced

fashionologie — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:34:07 PDT

>> The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund judging committee - which this year includes Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, Vogue's Mark Holgate, Jeffrey Kalinsky of Jeffrey and Nordstrom, CFDA executive director Steven Kolb, Reed Krakoff, Andrew Rosen, Diane von Furstenberg, Jenna Lyons, and Anna Wintour - have determined the 2011 finalists. They are:

AA, Antonio Azzuolo
Altuzarra, Joseph Altuzarra
Carlos Campos, Carlos Campos
Creatures of the Wind, Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters
Cushnie Et Ochs, Michelle Ochs and Carly Cushnie
Finn Jewelry, Soraya Silchenstedt
Fenton/Fallon, Dana Lorenz
Ohne Titel, Alexa Adams and Flora Gill
Pamela Love
Suno, Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty

Joseph Altuzarra and Pamela Love are repeat finalists from last year, and Ohne Titel was a finalist in 2009. The winner and two runners-up will be announced Nov. 14.

Watch Lady Gaga's Speech and Marc Jacobs's Tribute at the 2011 CFDA Awards

fashionologie — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:38:49 PDT

>> Among the highlights from this year's CFDA Awards Monday night were Lady Gaga's acceptance speech and Sofia Coppola presenting Marc Jacobs with his "Half-Lifetime" Achievement Award - now, see both moments on video.