The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is a whirlwind experience for the finalists. Three weeks ago, they found out they had been chosen. Two weeks ago the out-of-towners flew to New York to join the locals for the official announcement, where they encountered many of the competition’s previous winners and finalists, in the process discovering they are now part of a new community. And this week, they were invited to the Vogue offices, along with a rack full of their signature pieces and a “muse” wearing one of their most striking looks, to introduce themselves to the judges, which this year include Vogue’s Mark Holgate and Nicole Phelps, Instagram’s Eva Chen, SVP and Fashion Director at Saks Roopal Patel, VP and Fashion Director at Nordstrom Rickie de Sole, the model Paloma Elsesser, Brother Vellies Creative Director and Fifteen Percent Pledge founder Aurora James, CFDA Chairman and designer Thom Browne, and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb. Phew!
As overwhelmed as the finalists may have been, the mood inside Vogue’s fashion closet, where the event took place, was buoyant. Each designer/brand had 15 minutes to tell their story, show off their clothes, and answer questions about their work and their business, showing off their personalities in the process. Get to know them below:
Grace Ling, 27
From Singapore, now based in New York
Was there a catalyst moment that made you decide to launch your own brand?
I just have always wanted my brand, I can’t see myself doing literally anything else. I was so sure of it that in school I didn’t do any of my homework and I just made my thesis my business marketing launch moment.
How do you navigate the precariousness of the wholesale/retail landscape as a small brand?
Fortunately, our wholesale partners have been very good to us. However, I don’t like to put all my eggs in one basket, and in April, I launched a couture department. The dress is sold before it’s made, and is personal to the client.
