ANDREW_ROSEN ANNA_WINTOUR ANTONIO_AZZUOLO ARIEL_OVADIA ASSISTANT BRANDON_SUN BREAK_THRU_FILMS_PRODUCER BRETT_HEYMAN CLAIRE_VIVIER DAO_YI_CHOW DAVID_NEVILLE DESIGNER DIANE_VON_FURSTENBERG EMILIE EMMA_STONE ERNEST_ALEXANDER FINALISTS GABY_BASORA GEORGINA_CHAPMEN GIOVANNA_RANDALL INTERN JACK_MCCOULLOUGH JASON_JONES JEFFREY_KALINSKY JENNA_LYONS JUAN_CARLOS_OBANDO JUDGES KEN_DOWNING MAN MARCUS_WAINWRIGHT MARC_ALARY MARK_HOLGATE MARLON MATHHEW_ZINK MAXWELL_OSBORNE MEREDITH_GERMAN MEREDITH_MELLING_BURKE MIKE_FELDMAN MISHA_NONOO MULTIPLE RAMON_MARTIN REECE_SOLOMON REED_KRAKOFF RYAN_LOBO SCOTT_STERNBERG SHIMON_OVADIA STEVEN_KOLB THAKOON_PANICHGUL TIM_COPPENS TODD_SNYDER VERONICA_M_BEARD VERONICA_S_BEARD VOICEOVER WENDELL_GERMAN WOMAN VOICEOVER Every year, hundreds of young American designers apply for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. GIOVANNA RANDALL Winning the CFDA award is like winning an Oscar. STEVEN KOLB Anna Wintour from Vogue, Diane von Furstenberg JACK MCCOULLOUGH Those people can make your career. ANNA WINTOUR We want to support designers that are gonna be the future of American fashion. REECE SOLOMON Every major designer in the last ten years has gone through this program. VOICEOVER Ten designers. VOICEOVER Four months. VOICEOVER One winner. MAXWELL OSBORNE Get ready, ‘cause it’s a hell of a ride. VOICEOVER This is The Fashion Fund. MISHA NONOO Let’s go! MISHA NONOO The Fashion Fund is one of the reasons that I moved from the UK over to America to start my label. It’s something that I’ve wanted and it’s MISHA NONOO been an ambition of mine for along time. I’m intimidated purely because I want this so much. MARC ALARY Last year, I applied for the Fund. And I think it was a bit too early. But at this point, like, I’m up for the challenge. ARIEL OVADIA To have the brand name in front of the leaders in the industry is really something special. My brother and I know that by winning, it’s getting the judges to say, “I believe in Ovadia and Sons.” ANNA WINTOUR The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund really came out of the tragedy of September the Eleventh. It happened on the very first day of New York Fashion Week, and it became very clear to me almost immediately that a lot of the young designers really, um, had the most to lose. They put down huge amounts of money for them for a space to have a presentation or a show, and they’d lost all their deposits and they really didn’t know which way to turn. Realizing how hand to mouth their existence was, we all decided to get together and and create the, the Fashion Fund. STEVEN KOLB The Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue magazine started the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund to identify young emerging designers and give them a road map to success. ANNA WINTOUR We select ten finalists. We all visit them in their design studios ANNA WINTOUR and really learn about their business. They present a fashion show out in Los Angeles. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG They have to give this full presentation in front of Anna and me and some much more intimidating people. ANNA WINTOUR There also is a design challenge that they are asked to create. So we really do get to know them over the the course of the months. And at the end there is a cash prize given to the winner and the two runners up. Plus we work very closely with the winners to find a mentor that will guide them for the next year. ANNA WINTOUR If you look at the bright young lights that exist in New York fashion today, nearly all of them have come out of the Fashion Fund. THAKOON PANICHGUL It was Vogue, it was the CFDA, it was a lot of money, you know. It’s, I mean, it was everything that a young designer needed. GEORGINA CHAPMEN For us it was such an exciting opportunity. It provided such a a network of people. DAVID NEVILLE The Fashion Fund for us was really the launch pad. And I think the exposure that we got really opened our eyes to the industry. EMILIE Hi, how are you? INTERN Good. EMILIE Dropping off? INTERN Yeah. Jerome C. Rousseau. EMILIE Perfect. Yeah. Thank you so much. STEVEN KOLB Each Spring we get a hundred and fifty to two hundred applicants. We whittle it down to just fifty. And those fifty are invited to Phase Two. MISHA NONOO How are you? Nice to see you. EMILIE Nice to see you too. STEVEN KOLB Phase Two is the real challenge. That’s where they have to create a portfolio submission, a written business plan. And to be considered, you have to be in business for at least two years. DAO YI CHOW Delivery for you. ANNA WINTOUR We really never look at people that are just out of fashion school or have been in business for a very short amount of time. DAO YI CHOW Will you say a little blessing for us? EMILIE Yeah. MAXWELL OSBORNE Take care. EMILIE I’ll take good care of it I promise. SCOTT STERNBERG I literally submitted a physical application that were three books. Old books that I gutted out and sort of re made. One was a portfolio, one was a press kit, and one was sort of gutted out with a old mixtape from Jewish summer camp with Grateful Dead written in Hebrew. Yeah, so there’s “Found Money,” Portfolio. And these are all Polaroids, which are all set in there. Ah, SCOTT STERNBERG "“Life’s Riddles Solved,” which, I mean, all in like, what is this seventy five pages. You know, the process of doing that. Going back to the basics. What do I want to communicate? And just through answering all these questions, it’s so informative to yourself, right? ‘Cause you’re going through this and calling bullshit on yourself." JENNA LYONS I didn’t realize how intimate a process it would be. Not just for myself being a juror, but for the s you know, the people who are actually going through the process themselves. You start to actually look at the proposals; you start to really see the candidates. I mean, you really start to understand who they are. It’s so much of the way that they present the application, their finances. It really tells you a lot about are they gonna be successful? STEVEN KOLB The portfolio is major because a bad portfolio can kill an application, and a really good portfolio can give somebody an edge. I’ve seen portfolios range from papers in a folder to way over the top. There’s a fine medium between paper and, and too big. But, I’ve seen some really great ones. EMILIE Hi, how are you? GABY BASORA Good. We’re moving in. EMILIE Yeah. I know. GABY BASORA We stretched our fabric over a canvas, and we covered the chair, and did some robes. So, there’s just that layered richness that the brand is. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Just to go through the process of applying, it forces you to focus and it forces you to… to identify what you stand for. BRANDON SUN Hi! EMILIE How are you? BRANDON SUN How are you? EMILIE Good. BRANDON SUN There you go. EMILIE Okay. BRANDON SUN I handmade this box, and it’s covered in a, in a lamb fur. I like this idea of wrapping. It’s like opening a present everytime. CLAIRE VIVIER We had this, um, valise custom made by one of CLAIRE VIVIER our factories in Los Angeles to, um, carry our book that we have custom made. We wanna open a store in New York. Also, um, the monetary, um, award is quite helpful for small companies. EMILIE You read to let go? MIKE FELDMAN JASON JONES I’m ready to let go. EMILIE Perfect. EMILIE I can take that from you. RYAN LOBO It’s just a very straightforward presentation. It’s not a book. They’re all loose leaf pages. And the intention is just to express the simplicity and the purity of TOME. MISHA NONOO This is actually an authentic, hand marbled, one of a kind paper that’s used for bringing that sensibility and that idea of kind of tradition and old world and heritage into something that is contemporary. EMILIE Perfect. MATHHEW ZINK Yeah. EMILIE We were waiting. MATHHEW ZINK Yeah. EMILIE I’m excited. Okay. MATHHEW ZINK Is that it? EMILIE You’re yeah, you’re all set. Thank you MATHHEW ZINK My portfolio is um, on an iPad. I feel like it will either be looked as extremely efficient or abbreviated. And I’m hoping it’s the the former. EMILIE Dropping off? MEREDITH GERMAN Yes. WENDELL GERMAN Just to have those the industry leaders looking at your stuff and critiquing it and hopefully being able to give you advice. I mean, that’s what every young designer wants and needs really. I mean, you can’t do it without that, that sort of help MEREDITH GERMAN Yeah, its… WENDELL GERMAN I don’t know. To to have Anna Wintour and Jenna Lyons help would be amazing. So. You know. Fingers crossed. EMILIE Hi Marlon how are you? MARLON Good. How are you? EMILIE Good! MARLON When I think about this box, I think to myself, “How do you fit like, your whole fashion brand and your whole aesthetic into one box?” The theme was Reaching For the Stars. How appropriate for today. It was quite an exercise to kind of fit everything inside this box, and make sure that all of my little heart was like represented. EMILIE Ready? MARLON I am turning this over. I guess I guess I’m as ready as I’m ever gonna be. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG I love to watch people at the beginning of their lives. That’s the moment that you have first juice. And that first juice will really have a major stamp on your life. It’s like the first book. The first movie. The first love. The first everything. VOICEOVER Coming up on The Fashion Fund. MARC ALARY DAO YI CHOW We wanna grow. And we need it. We just don’t wanna mess it up. ANNA WINTOUR Can we only talk about the ones we like? STEVEN KOLB Yes. REECE SOLOMON I mean, it’s definitely a scary group of people to show your work to. JEFFREY KALINSKY So it’s handbags? KEN DOWNING It’s handbags. JEFFREY KALINSKY It’s like other people’s stuff. ANDREW ROSEN I have these Ovadia and Sons. SHIMON OVADIA We didn’t have much growing up. And not having made us hungry. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT And then we had another one, TOME, which was I thought, pretty good. But maybe too green. RAMON MARTIN It would open so many doors for us. So, fingers crossed. JASON JONES You wait your whole life to get in this room. I JASON JONES mean Anna Wintour. She is fashion. Period. The end. STEVEN KOLB It’s Steven Kolb at the CFDA, how’re you doing? STEVEN KOLB The mission of the Fashion Fund is to identify young, emerging designers and help them succeed in business. Each Spring we get a hundred and fifty to two hundred applicants. We whittle it down to just fifty. But who are the most talented of the fifty? STEVEN KOLB Alright. So we can just go down the list and then as we talk about them, if we wanna see portfolios, Emilie will just bring them over to the table. STEVEN KOLB Each judge gets five designers to personally review. This morning, they report which they think are worthy or should go forward to be one of the ten. STEVEN KOLB If it’s more than ten, we’ll discuss it. Who should go off? It’s less than ten, we’ll revisit the list. ANNA WINTOUR In the interest of time, can we only talk about the ones we like? STEVEN KOLB Yes. ANNA WINTOUR When all the selection committee get together and we have different portfolios that we’ve all looked at that’s a very honest conversation where we discuss the pros and cons of each portfolio. So they’re being judged almost immediately. STEVEN KOLB The judges are leaders in the industry and each year we rotate in designers who have previously been in the Fashion Fund. And this year we have Rag and Bone. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT To stand out, you’ve really gotta have something that is new and novel and original. JEFFREY KALINSKY We’re not here to pick the next big thing if they haven’t proven to us that they can be the next JEFFREY KALINSKY big thing. REED KRAKOFF It has to be someone who, you know, has the wherewithal to endure what it takes. KEN DOWNING What I’m looking for is what breaks through the white noise. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG You want somebody that has the passion and the perseverance to go through all the ups and down that they will be going through, because there are no shortcuts. ANNA WINTOUR I have two that I like. The first one is um, is Public School, the menswear designers. They also have a background in owning and um, managing menswear stores. Uh, they come out of working for Sean John, which means in my book that they ought to be considered immediately. MAXWELL OSBORNE I’m Maxwell Osborne. Designer for Public School. DAO YI CHOW And I’m DAO YI CHOW. Designer for Public School. MAXWELL OSBORNE And we design menswear. MAXWELL OSBORNE We take a lot of inspiration from New York City, and cities across the world. DAO YI CHOW When we design, it’s really not conceptual, but it’s more with the idea of a muse. And it’s always just music, artists. We are applying just because we… MAXWELL OSBORNE Wanna grow. DAO YI CHOW We wanna grow. And we need it. MAXWELL OSBORNE You’re right. MAXWELL OSBORNE Being in the business, we know what this fund does for the business and where it puts you, and you kinda want to be there, alongside the other people that have walked this path. DAO YI CHOW You know, our business is growing. And I think that we need that extra boost. Not really just the monetary piece, but also the mentorship, and sort of the nurturing. Yeah, so the pieces seem to be coming together, and we just don’t wanna mess it up. ANNA WINTOUR Okay. The second uh, applicants uh, that I want to put on the table… Veronica B Beard and a first of all I like them because they’re two sisters in law and they have the same name. VERONICA M BEARD I’m Veronica Miele Beard. VERONICA S BEARD And I’m Veronica Swanson Beard. VERONICA M BEARD And we represent Veronica Beard, the brand. VERONICA S BEARD There was a long discussion about not naming it Veronica Beard. Um… VERONICA M BEARD And then at the end of the day, it was the only thing we could, um, really own. VERONICA S BEARD We need to take in under the arm, like here. VERONICA S BEARD Whenever people say that, you know, how could you be in business with your sister in law who’re you gonna choose? You know, it’s like are you gonna put a ad in Craigslist for a business partner? You know, you sort of go with the people you know. VERONICA M BEARD We always say we are our customer. We have eight kids between us. We’re trying to help the super woman of today. MARK HOLGATE I’d like to put forward Tim Coppens, another menswear designer. Uh, a young Belgian guy. It’s kind of a mix of a kind of urban, sporty, super cool, kind of tailored, uh, shape. And it’s it’s strong. TIM COPPENS My name is Time Coppens and my brand name is Tim Coppens. TIM COPPENS I I grew up in Belgium, in a small village. I don’t think I necessarily knew what fashion was about, but what attracted me to it was that it’s like, three dimensional thing. I started with architecture, but it was too mathematical. So and then the the, the fashion still had that 3D element and you had the graphicness inside of it and you can create this whole world. My world, you know. The way I saw it. We’re in our fifth season now. So we’re we’re very young. We need financial backing to do this. You need you need manpower. So it’s not just making a nice collection. KEN DOWNING Just I want to bring to the attention of the group Reece Hudson that is a handbag collection. Um, an interesting young team. REECE SOLOMON My name is Reece Solomon, I’m the designer of Reece Hudson, which is a handbag brand. I think the goal of the line is really to deliver a really designer level product in, um, aesthetic and REECE SOLOMON quality, but at a more entry designer price point. I really try to design for a woman who is really fashion forward and independent thinking, not someone following trends. Um, I try not to have my line be trend driven. Um, I want something that has more classic appeal and really has a voice of it’s own, and that’s kind of what I strive to do. JEFFREY KALINSKY So it’s handbags? KEN DOWNING It’s handbags. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT That’s the whole thing. JEFFREY KALINSKY It looks like other people’s stuff. KEN DOWNING They’re very talented. And, and they make ANNA WINTOUR Do you know them? Do you know their work, Reed? KEN DOWNING I do. REED KRAKOFF They’re super enthusiastic. I actually think they’re pulled together from a business standpoint. But when you’re a small brand like that in the accessories world you need to have something that everyone knows is yours. I don’t think they’ve found it yet ANNA WINTOUR They don’t have a signature yet. REED KRAKOFF I don’t think so. KEN DOWNING Top of my list is Mark Alary, who’s a precious jewelry designer. He is French learned. He worked for Marc Jacobs doing jewelry for his runway. His business kind of fell short a season ago because of the economy. Had a falling out with ANNA WINTOUR So he went out of business? KEN DOWNING Well, he kind of he had a falling with his production person. STEVEN KOLB He applied last year, and we really really liked him. And he was a contender but I think everyone felt his business was so small at the time KEN DOWNING And it still it is still is small. But it’s unlike anything in the jewelry market. MARC ALARY My name is Marc Alary. The company name is Marc Alary Jewelry. This piece is really like was a lot of work. It’s a necklace and they’re all snakes biting each other’s tail. I think I’ve proved so far that the business is viable. Like I MARC ALARY have really good press. But one of the biggest problems in fine jewelry is like the money is very expensive. And since I’ve been funding everything myself, I’ve been having amazing stores that came to me and wanted to have the collection. And I had to say no. And that was kinda like heartbreaking. This really means a lot to me. I need a lot of help. VOICEOVER Coming up on the Fashion Fund. JASON JONES When you have set out to be the best that you can be your whole life at this one thing, and you get a chance to actually do that, it’s incredible. MARK HOLGATE They sound like real characters. ANNA WINTOUR What do you mean? Now we don’t no more insane ones. Please. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT MISHA NONOO It’s it’s really important to me. It’s my career and I’ve put everything into it. ANNA WINTOUR Does anyone know? KEN DOWNING We sell it at Neiman Marcus. ANNA WINTOUR Is it selling? ANNA WINTOUR Should we do the ones we really thing yes? STEVEN KOLB Alright. Yeah. So we have ten. DAVID NEVILLE I welcome everybody. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT We’re incredibly excited for the ten guys and girls that we’re gonna announce. MARK HOLGATE We’re at the early stages of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. We got a slew of initial applications. That’s whittled down to fifty. Once we get those fifty in, there’s a meeting where we kind of discuss who we think should go through to the final ten. Each judge gets five applications. And they look at them, and you’re MARK HOLGATE kind of evaluating on all sorts of different criteria. Evaluating it how good are they as designers? How smart are they as, as as business people. I mean, I I think you’re never really looking for perfection; you’re never going to find it. You’re looking for the best combination of all sorts of different factors. MARK HOLGATE What did you guys think of Edie Parker? MARCUS WAINWRIGHT To me, it just seemed very specific and very it’s like evening clutches and ANDREW ROSEN Yeah, but there’s no one doing it. JENNA LYONS She’s definitely doing something new. ANNA WINTOUR Oh, it’s just just accessories? JENNA LYONS It’s just evening clutches, but they’re all kind of, in out of this Lucite and sparkle and but they’re quite beautiful. They’re they’re cool. BRETT HEYMAN My name is Brett Heyman, my company is Edie Parker, and we make acrylic clutches and handbags. I was inspired by the acrylic clutches in the fifties and sixties. They were very hard to find, and I sought out to remake them for myself at first. What started as a passion project has become this great business. But I am desperate for business mentoring. I couldn’t conceive of a better panel of people to help and mentor and foster and grow the business. MARK HOLGATE And then the other one which I kind of liked, um, was Parabellum, there’s two guys that have a leather goods line in Los Angeles. And, I don’t know, the they sound like real characters. ANNA WINTOUR What do you mean? Now we don’t need no more insane ones. Please. JUDGES MARK HOLGATE No, their things are beautifully done, they use really good finishings. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT Yeah, he’s pretty cool. They had a very specific point of view. JASON JONES My name’s Jason and I’m the creative director of Parabellum. And we do uh, handmade leather goods in Los Angeles. Primarily from bison. A lot of iconography that we use, I you know, the bison is partially because I’m half Indian and uh, there’s a lot of Indian iconography in there. This is a picture of my dad. And he’s a a reservation born Indian. He was reservation born. I was not. And I was you know, uh it JASON JONES says Caucasian on my birth certificate because of the hard time that he had. So this is really me trying to recapture this and my Indian heritage and honor him. And he looks just like me. This is our our traditional, you know, free range bison hide. And as you can see it’s, it has a lot more variation. It’s not stamped. You know, we tan everything ourselves. So we’re there from the beginning to the end. Uh, we do the packing, the shipping. We do everything except the essential sewing. I think that the timing is right for us. We’re at that point where we have the right placement and we’ve built the brand, we just don’t have the infrastructure to grow. It’s me and my best friend and that’s it. ANDREW ROSEN Does he have a business? MARK HOLGATE They’re actually doing quite well. They’ve, they’ve they’ve tripled their business ANDREW ROSEN It’s cool. MARK HOLGATE in about the space of three years. It’s an idea of what L.A. can be, it’s an idea of what 13enie13 American luxury can be. They also thought they could be a hundred million dollar business in a decade. I don’t know. That sounds like a lot to me. I don’t know. JENNA LYONS That’s a lot of bison. ANDREW ROSEN So I have these Ovadia and Sons that I thought were really good. Another menswear company. Steven had originally introduced me to these guys and every time I meet with them I get more and more impressed with them. Their father started a children’s wear company and they worked for the father for a while and then got this passion to go out on their own, without any of their father’s help or anything. ANNA WINTOUR How are they funded then, Andrew? ANDREW ROSEN They self funded. And they’re profitable. And STEVEN KOLB They didn’t want to go to college. They just went out and launch this brand ANNA WINTOUR Profitable? ANDREW ROSEN Profitable. And these are real hustlers. I two Israeli kids. They’re real workers. I mean, if there’s a company you could bet on, you could on these guys to en to be successful. SHIMON OVADIA When our family moved here we lived with our grandparents. It was about eight to ten people in SHIMON OVADIA a two bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. We didn’t have much growing up. And and we’d get one pair of sneakers a year. If we were lucky. And I think that not having made us hungry. Our first job ah, we we shared a bike route for a pharmacy. The owner didn’t know we were twins. So one day I would go in, the next day he would go in. And, uh, you know, we saved all the money we had to by clothing. ARIEL OVADIA Yeah, a reflector. Cool. MAN Cool. SHIMON OVADIA And as teenagers we would take the train into the city and we would do the same thing every weekend. We’d go to Barney’s, we’d go to Bloomingdale’s, we’d go to all the different stores. We’d see what was happening. And uh, that was our hobby. You know, we would go up to Madison Avenue, and we’d walk by a guy in a suit and we’d look back and I’d say, “Ariel did you see that guy?” ARIEL OVADIA We grew up with Vogue on the table. You know, my mom had it. But my dad if you tell him that I had the vice president of Saks in my office, or Barney’s, he’s like, “Great.” He’s like, “Did they give you an order?” You know? My father came here in search of a better life for our family and it really gave us motivation to see that our father had made something from nothing. And you know, if we want it bad enough, we could do it. My brother and I know the money will really help us grow our brand and take it to the next level. And we won’t let them down. VOICEOVER Coming up on the Fashion Fund. REED KRAKOFF Start with Todd Snyder TODD SNYDER It’s critical. I think it will take any business to the next level. REED KRAKOFF My question is that is there enough of a point of view? MARCUS WAINWRIGHT The main one was Juan Carlos Obando. ANNA WINTOUR Oh right. He, he he was finalist. JUAN CARLOS OBANDO I have done my homework and I’m back. ANNA WINTOUR We’re looking for design talent, we’re looking for drive. STEVEN KOLB CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund committee met this morning. VERONICA S BEARD We’re very nervous. STEVEN KOLB We are only able to pick ten. ANNA WINTOUR The focus of the fashion fund is to help young talent. Usually we get about two hundred applications. That’s whittled down. And then we all present the ones that we feel are worthwhile of of major consideration. ANNA WINTOUR So are you guys speaking separately? DAVID NEVILLE We can, yes. ANNA WINTOUR Both Diane and I felt that we needed to engage somebody from a younger generation to really bring a new perspective onto the selection committee. Then Rag and Bone. We all were very taken by their talent when they applied. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT When we applied, we were tiny. If you look back, we didn’t really know what we were doing. Originally, Rag and Bone was more a project to try and make a pair of dark denim jeans. There was almost nobody making dark denim other than Levi’s. And I eventually found a a little factory in Kentucky that was willing to see us and uh, and I remember getting up at five o’clock in the morning working til four o’clock just sitting with these ladies who’ve been sewing their whole lives. And that was very inspiring, because we then went on to really focus on that principle of craftsmanship. DAVID NEVILLE Even though we didn’t win, being in the Fund it was kind of a perfect storm for us. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT The Fashion Fund sort of opened the doors to the retailers, the industry experts. We got our first piece of press, which was amazing. We got Angelina Jolie in Vogue wearing a Rag and Bone trench coat in the desert. Ah, I think it was definitely a big turning point. And we we learned a great deal since then. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT The the main one was Juan Carlos Obando. ANNA WINTOUR Oh, right. He, he he was finalist. ANDREW ROSEN He was, he was a finalist before. ANNA WINTOUR He’s a lovely man. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT He’s ANNA WINTOUR And he does have an audience. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT He seems to know what he wants. He wants to own the night. JUAN CARLOS OBANDO I grew up in Barrenquilla, Colombia. People say, “Where, where do these colours come from?” And I say, well, I grew up watching all of these colours at once. The the flowers on the women. How beautiful these women are, and how sexy, yet very dignified and very elegant. And it’s always this, this this balance between the two. And I think it that has become a huge influence now. And little did I know I it was always there. It was it’s home. And, it’s cool that you… to realize that you have to kinda go back home to to kinda understand who you really are. JUAN CARLOS OBANDO This one’s creamier. So we use this for the skirt which is creamier JUAN CARLOS OBANDO When I first came into the Fund, back in ’08, I think I grasped that experience into how should I find my voice in this industry. It took some time. You know, slowly but steadily. Um, I decided that perhaps right now was the perfect time to to come back. Um, with a voice that is very specific. A message that is really clear. STEVEN KOLB Would you say that since he was in it last time, he listens and he tries? MARK HOLGATE I think he listens and he tries. I mean, I think he’s, he’s he’s trying to, uh, refine and really identify what he does. I mean I, I I kept saying to him, “You really gotta push a signature. And focus on that.” ANNA WINTOUR And I think the fact that he’s come back after several years, right? He’s waited a respectful amount of time. I I think he is a talented ANNA WINTOUR designer. He’s very specific, to to Andrew’s point. And I, I I feel he should be rewarded. I really do. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT Of the ones we had, you know, we had another one, TOME, which was I thought pretty good, but maybe too green. Like real just two guys, Australian guys who could ANNA WINTOUR Is it more menswear? MARCUS WAINWRIGHT No. MULTIPLE JUDGES: Women’s wear. DAVID NEVILLE I I thought the TOME thing resonated with us because it’s two guys with not a lot in New York, doing it all in New York. RAMON MARTIN I’m Ramon. RYAN LOBO I’m Ryan. We are TOME. The philosophy of our label is to create beautiful, sensual, effortless clothing that a appeals to all women. RAMON MARTIN It’s such a huge moment for us. It would just push TOME to somewhere that would give us so much opportunity and, and just open so many doors for us. We feel ready. We feel ready for it. We’re and we’re excited for it. So, fingers crossed and, and full steam ahead. REED KRAKOFF I had two defin well, start with Todd Snyder. I’m impressed by what he’s been able to put together. It’s a very comprehensive collection. He’s he’s really a professional, my question is that underneath all of that, is there enough of a point of view to differentiate him from neo preppy, neo classical um, next generation J. Crew, Ralph, people in that space? TODD SNYDER My name’s Todd Snyder, and I design my own line, Todd Snyder. I always get inspired very much from travel. Travel is usually TODD SNYDER you know, for me, wh a starting point. Because I grew up in Iowa, so it was very easy for me to think like, “What would be life would be like outside of Iowa?” Whenever I got the opportunity to travel, you know, whether it’s to Tokyo, or to London. Um, or even Capri or San Tropez, it really opens your eyes to this whole new world. And what I do is I like to insert myself in there and pretend as if this is TODD SNYDER where I’m vacationing or this where I’m from. And what would I wear. And I fell in love with it. I just liked the art of making clothes. JENNA LYONS "It’s a little complicated for me. He used to be the head of men’s design at J. Crew. But I’ve sort of been impressed with what he’s done on his own. Maybe he needed that to get away from the structure of a company like J. Crew. The space is crowded, but I don’t if that should be I mean women’s wear is very crowded, so." DAVID NEVILLE I think it’s worth noting also that it’s very difficult to get any real traction in menswear. Because Barney’s does it, but when you get into the Sakses and the Neimans of the world, they don’t really do this space very well. So the opportunity is much more limited. JEFFREY KALINSKY He’s got a real business. For what that’s worth. REED KRAKOFF Neiman’s carries him, Nordstrom carries him, Barney’s carries him, Bergdorf Goodman carries him. I mean ANNA WINTOUR So he has a business? JEFFREY KALINSKY He’s got a business. JENNA LYONS Yes. He has a business. STEVEN KOLB The last one is just Diane. She liked Nonoo. Is that how you say it? ANDREW ROSEN Misha Misha Nonoo. ANNA WINTOUR Does anyone know ? MARK HOLGATE She’s English. ANDREW ROSEN I know. I know her. MARK HOLGATE She’s an English girl. ANNA WINTOUR And? KEN DOWNING We sell it at Neiman Marcus. ANNA WINTOUR Is it selling? KEN DOWNING It is. REED KRAKOFF Is that her? MARK HOLGATE She’s kind of She’s kind of blonde and pretty. I seem to remember. KEN DOWNING Yeah, that’s her. MARK HOLGATE Yeah. JEFFREY KALINSKY She’s pretty. DAVID NEVILLE She’s a good ambassador for her own brand. MARK HOLGATE I mean, I liked her very much actually. She’s very charming, very personable. It just didn’t excite me as clothes. JEFFREY KALINSKY I I like Nonoo. MARK HOLGATE She’s very pretty. ANDREW ROSEN I thinks she dressed one of the royal family there. MISHA NONOO My name is Misha Nonoo and the name of the collection is Nonoo. The idea and the the values behind the collection are really bringing this noble British aesthetic, which at its core is very tailored, to the US contemporary market. I’ve always been consumed by fashion and and really the things that surround it and the lifestyle that goes with fashion. MISHA NONOO For this we’re just going to go one inch off the bottom of the coat. MISHA NONOO None of this is just, “Oh well, it didn’t work out.” It’s it’s really important to me. It’s my career and I’ve put everything into it. VOICEOVER Coming up on the Fashion Fund. RYAN LOBO As far as the fashion industry goes, it’s like meeting the queen. REED KRAKOFF Is there enough of a point of view? MARCUS WAINWRIGHT There are three people in exactly the same zone. ANDREW ROSEN I think they could be a year away. ANNA WINTOUR We’re looking for something that says to us he or she is gonna be a star. STEVEN KOLB Congratulations. FINALISTS ANNA WINTOUR I’m Anna. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT We are gonna now introduce the ten nominees. ANNA WINTOUR Should we do the ones we really think yes, and then STEVEN KOLB Yeah, alright. Let’s ANNA WINTOUR look at what’s left. STEVEN KOLB Let’s take these off the table so we’re not confused. ANNA WINTOUR We’re looking for design talent. We’re looking for drive. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT There are three people on this list so far that are basically in exactly the same zone. STEVEN KOLB They’re very ambitious. JEFFREY KALINSKY It looks like other people’s stuff. REED KRAKOFF I didn’t understand yet what their real reason for being ANDREW ROSEN I I think, I think they could be a year away. REED KRAKOFF Yeah. ANNA WINTOUR We’re looking for a realization that this is also about running a business. JENNA LYONS I don’t think this is the strongest one I’ve seen, but it was, out of the group I had, by far the strongest. MARK HOLGATE I couldn’t quite see what she was giving you that you weren’t either getting at a higher price point or f for the same price point. REED KRAKOFF I don’t see enough of an idea yet. ANNA WINTOUR We’re looking for something indefinable that says to us that he or she is gonna be a star. JEFFREY KALINSKY I think she should be considered based on what we’ve seen. I think that’s a yes. STEVEN KOLB Alright so we have ten. That’s it. ANNA WINTOUR Great. Thank you so much. STEVEN KOLB Thank you all. Good job. ANNA WINTOUR What’s been the most rewarding is, is to see all the talent that’s come out of it. RYAN LOBO Hello, Ryan speaking. STEVEN KOLB It’s Steven Kolb at the CFDA, how are you doing? ANNA WINTOUR It is a very real way for young talent to be not only discovered, but also nurtured. STEVEN KOLB I’m not sure if you know, but the uh, um, CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund committee met this morning. RYAN LOBO Yes. STEVEN KOLB We are only able to pick ten. Um… RYAN LOBO Yes. STEVEN KOLB And so, uh, I was just calling to let you know that you are one of the ten. RYAN LOBO Oh my god, Steven. ANNA WINTOUR It’s an amazing gift to these young people starting off ANNA WINTOUR you know, on their career path. MISHA NONOO Hello? STEVEN KOLB Is this Misha? MISHA NONOO Yes it is. STEVEN KOLB Hi, it’s Steven Kolb from the CFDA. So you’re one of the ten. ASSISTANT Oh my god, it’s so exciting. VERONICA M BEARD Hello? STEVEN KOLB Are both Veronicas there? VERONICA M BEARD Yeah, we’re here. We’re very nervous. STEVEN KOLB Congratulations. You, ah, got accepted as one of the finalists for CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund this year. VERONICA M BEARD Thank you. VERONICA S BEARD Are you crying? VERONICA M BEARD No. VERONICA S BEARD She never cries. VERONICA M BEARD No I’m not, I’m not. STEVEN KOLB So tonight we’re gonna have the little party at Rag and Bone studio in the meat packing. So see you tonight. MAXWELL OSBORNE Hello. STEVEN KOLB I have good news for you. You are a finalist for Fashion Fund. DAO YI CHOW That’s awesome. MAXWELL OSBORNE Shh Yo. Wow. Wow. DAO YI CHOW That is awesome. DAO YI CHOW Group hug? ASSISTANT Clap it up! DAO YI CHOW You come on too. MARC ALARY Hello? STEVEN KOLB Is this Marc? MARC ALARY Yes. STEVEN KOLB Hello Marc, it’s Steven at CFDA. MARC ALARY Yes. STEVEN KOLB How are you? MARC ALARY Ah, good. STEVEN KOLB Good. Well, uh, I remember your application from last year. Everybody was really impressed with it and so it was good that you reapplied, because you’re one of the finalists this year. MARC ALARY Oh, wow. Thank you very much. Uh, I’m really happy. Thank you. MARC ALARY Wow. I’m ver ASSISTANT Les 22enie. MARC ALARY Ah. Thank you. STEVEN KOLB Hello everybody. MEREDITH MELLING BURKE Hi everyone! How are you? FINALISTS Hi. MEREDITH MELLING BURKE "Just to introduce myself, I’m Meredith Melling Burke from Vogue. I’m so looking forward to working with you throughout this process. We’re going to be revealing your identity today. Congratulations." ANNA WINTOUR Hello. Congratulations. Hello, I’m Anna. TODD SNYDER The I think the most nerve wracking or the most exciting part was meeting Anna Wintour. It’s just like somebody you just kinda like, “Oh my gosh.” ANNA WINTOUR Hi Todd, how are you? TODD SNYDER There she is and you can actually shake her hand and touch her, so. It it was pretty awesome. JASON JONES Anna Wintour is the you know the one that you’re most excited to meet. I mean, she is fashion. Period. The end. RYAN LOBO Stand there and shake her hand. RAMON MARTIN Hm. RYAN LOBO It’s like meeting the queen. RAMON MARTIN Yep. SHIMON OVADIA It’s one of those moments where you just have to take a step back and say, look what’s happening in my life, and this is like a a moment to to SHIMON OVADIA really uh, cherish. STEVEN KOLB And this is David Neville. ANNA WINTOUR Yes. DAVID NEVILLE How’s it going? Congratulations. ANNA WINTOUR He’s been through it all. He can tell you all about it. And look what happened. DAVID NEVILLE I just found this, um, framed letter from Anna saying, “To David and Marcus, wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate you on making it to the final ten of the 2007 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.” Um, “I and the rest of the panel of judges look forward to seeing you in August. We wish you the best of luck.” Dated July twenty sixth 2006. So that was a long time ago. DAVID NEVILLE Uh, and uh, a lot’s happened since then. And a lot of it really um, down to the sort of trajectory and the momentum that we got after being nominated in this thing. Um, so we’re enormously grateful t to Anna and everyone, here. ANNA WINTOUR The first time I went up to see David and Marcus, they were in a room this size. One intern. DAVID NEVILLE And no pictures on the wall. ANNA WINTOUR No. ANNA WINTOUR Barely a cup of coffee. DAVID NEVILLE We were terrified. DAVID NEVILLE Welcome everybody. We are thrilled to be hosting the first ever announcement celebration for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT It’s a it’s pretty strange to be standing here to be honest. Um, we were we were in the Fund in 2006. And everything good that has happened to Rag and Bone has happened since then. So, for that experience, we will be eternally grateful and I think we’re incredibly excited for the ten guys and girls that we’re gonna announce in a minute because they’re gonna experience the same sort of thing. We’re getting a little mushy at this point. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT We are gonna now intr i introduce the ten nominees. Marc Alary of Marc Alary Jewelry. MARC ALARY This is big milestone for me. I that it’s gonna open a new doorways, more possibilities. And I’m thrilled. DAVID NEVILLE Ms. Misha Nonoo MISHA NONOO I’m completely overjoyed and completely thrilled. And I mean, I know that’s it’s gonna be a lot of work and and you know I just feel really ready for it. And I I can’t wait to be a part of it. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin of TOME RYAN LOBO This is so major. And overwhelming, and exciting. All at the same time. ANTONIO AZZUOLO Yeah!! Get ready! ANNA WINTOUR Good luck! I’ll see you next week. RAMON MARTIN Thank you so much. MARCUS WAINWRIGHT Some of it’s quite painful, but the rest of it’s brilliant. VOICEOVER This season on The Fashion Fund WOMAN Five minutes! DESIGNER If you’re an American designer, this is where you want to be, this is what you have to do. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG The quality of the designers that have come out of that fund is incredible. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG First you make a presentation, then you have an interview. KEN DOWNING They each get fifteen minutes. Literally fifteen minutes with a timer. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG The clock is ticking. Zzzzz. ANNA WINTOUR We basically interrogate them. MARK HOLGATE It’s a high pressure moment. That watch kind of ticking away down in the background like a time bomb. ANDREW ROSEN When you’re sitting in front of Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg, if he wasn’t nervous, there’d be something wrong. JASON JONES Right now, this is our moment. MIKE FELDMAN What’s the time frame? JASON JONES Ten days. SHIMON OVADIA We like to win. And we’re very competitive. JUAN CARLOS OBANDO I get this call and I guess the whole vacation has to stop. It’s chaos. TIM COPPENS You feel the pressure. The bar is raised high. It has to be good. DAO YI CHOW We talked about Black Apple for half the interview. I just wish he had another crack at it. MISHA NONOO It’s just so busy and hectic. I’m exterior calm, interior slightly freaking out. VERONICA M BEARD Wall Street was easy compared to this. MARC ALARY I have to do everything the same time. JEFFREY KALINSKY You need help. TODD SNYDER This is the most important fashion show we’ve ever had. RYAN LOBO That earring is still in. Take them both out. This is, you know, our life’s work. So. DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Having a signature. You say that word a little too often. ANNA WINTOUR It’s about looking at all the finalists in different situations and seeing how well prepared or how they’re not so well prepared. Sorry I didn’t get to see the shoes. Next time. MISHA NONOO Oh my god. KEN DOWNING I don’t know what happened on that runway. It just was wrong. ANNA WINTOUR You never know who’s gonna surprise you. EMMA STONE The winner is. VOICEOVER The Fashion Fund JENNA LYONS Out of the group, I have to say, the only one that I really loved, was Ernest Alexander which maybe we should pull his book. I don’t know him personally. I’ve never seen his brand before. But he seemed to be the most kind of thoughtful. He seems to have a clear point of view, out of the group I had. He seemed by far the strongest. ERNEST ALEXANDER "My name’s Ernest Sabine. I’m the founder of Ernest Alexander. And we are a menswear company based here in New York City. I’m actually from outside of Boston. So I have sort of those like preppy Cape Cod influences. Our target guy he’s like a cool, 35 year old, advertising exec. who lives in Tribeca. Rides a vespa. Might have like a hunter green mini cooper. He’s kind of the envy of all his friends. It’s like this idealized version of myself." STEVEN KOLB Alright. BREAK THRU FILMS PRODUCER So, and we’re rolling. STEVEN KOLB Are people dropping off already? STEVEN KOLB The portfolios are really important because it’s really the first time the judges see this creativity. The designers have to really prove themselves. That’s difficult to do when you have 10 judges who have seen everything from everyone. You also want to make sure that the judge can access it within their very busy schedule. KEN DOWNING Is this actually a portfolio? STEVEN KOLB One portfolio from a few years back was really, really had live plants in it. The designer was so nervous that we weren’t watering the live plants… KEN DOWNING So I guess they didn’t get the memo that they need to be transportable. STEVEN KOLB Clearly not. STEVEN KOLB …And that probably wasn’t the best portfolio because with everything else going on the last thing we want to worry about it watering somebody’s plants. STEVEN KOLB We have to always remember that it’s about the clothes. It’s about fashion. Dianna said many times, it’s kind of like fashion therapy. You really got to spill your guts onto the paper and show who you are. KEN DOWNING Some people are very glib. Some people are almost at times, full of themselves. Talent is certainly an important part of the design process. But the customer is looking for authenticity. REED KRAKOFF It’s sort of a haphazardly put together portfolio. The work has to be extraordinary it has to come through. Um, if it’s a great portfolio, um and the work isn’t great it doesn’t make up for it. KEN DOWNING I, I can’t care more than they do. So it needs to show me that they actually, that there’s emotional thought that’s put into it. REED KRAKOFF People want to understand, we all want to understand why. Why is that important to me? How is it done? Where did it come from? Where was the idea? They kind of abuse the clothing, the shoes, the bags with more of that desire that fashion is really about. STEVEN KOLB "There’s no expectation or requirement from the judges and I think that’s the great thing about the program. You have Greg in the Elder Statesman, or Shane and Chris from Creatures of the Wind, that have come out and are really unexpected and then they’ve gone to win one of the top prizes. And that’s exciting for us in the fund, is the discovery of it, and to really be able to help that designer become part of the industry"