CFDA & Vogue announce winner for CVFF awards

Winner: Greg Chait of The Elder Statesman

Runners-Up: Tabitha Simmons, Jennifer Meyer Maguire

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. The program has now granted $2.8 million in total to twenty-four design companies, including 3.1 Phillip Lim, Albertus Swanepoel, Alexander Wang, Billy Reid, Derek Lam, Doo.Ri, Eddie Borgo, Joseph Altuzarra, Monique Péan, Patrik Ervell, Philip Crangi, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Rogan, Sophie Theallet, Thakoon, Thom Browne, and Vena Cava.

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is generously sponsored by partner J.CREW, underwriters American Express, Appleman Foundation, Carolina Herrera, Coach Foundation, Nordstrom,THECORNER.COM /YOOX Group, Theory, Tiffany & Co., Tommy Hilfiger, W Hotels andVogue. In addition, for 2012 the Fund has added 4 new underwriters; kate spade new york, Neiman Marcus, The Limited Stores, and The Ralph Bartel Foundation.

On hand at Center 548 to celebrate the achievement of this year’s winners and honorees were an array of iconic American designers, including CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg as well as Chelsea Clinton, who introduced  keynote speaker Christopher Bailey. Bailey spoke movingly about his upbringing in Yorkshire England and his journey in fashion to arrive at his current position as the chief creative officer of Burberry.

He was joined by actress Emma Stone, who presented the awards to the winners.  Former CVFF winners and runners-up in attendance included Joseph Altuzarra, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, Prabal Gurung, Pamela Love, Thakoon Panichgul, Billy Reid and Alexander Wang.

Other notables included Dakota Fanning, Miranda Kerr, Ashley Greene, Allison Williams, Alexa Chung, Tory Burch, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, Karlie Kloss, Jourdan Dunn, Arizona Muse, Seth Meyers, Shala Monroque, Christina Ricci, Carolyn Murphy, Coco Rocha, Liv Tyler, Liya Kebede, Tobey Maguire, Tommy Hilfiger, Carolina Herrera, Victor Cruz, David Byrne, Lauren Santo Domingo, Humberto Leon, Elettra Rossellini-Wiedemann, Chanel Iman, Alejandro Ingelmo, Caroline Issa, Olivier Theyskens, Marina Rust, Peter Som, Hannah Bronfman, Vanessa Traina, Caroline Trentini, Vera Wang, Nate Lowman, Christina Ricci, Richard Chai, Sophie Theallet, Margherita Missoni, Jaime Johnson and Derek Lam among others.