How to win the CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund: Be wealthy and well-connected.

Every year CFDA/Vogue holds its fancy, celeb-filled soiree to announce the winner of its award for designers. The winner gets $300,000 plus mentoring from fashion industry professionals. The two runners-up get $100,000 each plus mentoring.

Behold this year’s winners who were all clearly hard up for cash and connections

Winner:
Greg Chait won for his lush knitwear-based collection The Elder Statesman which sells expensive-ass blankets starting at $2,000 bucks. Greg is the former CEO of Tsubi jeans- a company that made over $20 million in 2007. He also dated Ashley Olsen.

Runners Up
Jennifer Meyer Maguire: She’s a jewelry designer who’s married to actor Tobey Maguire. Her dad is Universal Studios president Ron Meyer. Her celeb clients and friends include Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, and Reese Witherspoon . So as you can see she desperately needs both financing and connections. It’s not like she can roll over in bed and ask Tobey-poo to break her off from their joint account or ask her loaded Daddy for funds. It’s better that she accept money that could go to talented designers who actually need it.

Tabitha Simmons:Former Model and shoe designer and who happens to be married to one of the top fashion photographers in the World— Craig McDean . Craig shoots for lowly-regarded magazines like Vogue & W and has done campaigns for little known brands like Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein…etc. It’s doubtful that his income and connections with stylists, designers, and editors along with her own connections from modeling would have been of any use to Simmons though. While you mull that over you can check out pics of their Chelsea apartment that was featured in Vogue—and you know Vogue only features the homes of really poor people.

Seriously, how you gonna have a fund that gives money and mentorship to people who are already wealthy and well-connected?

ONTDers who have design aspirations—you needn’t worry. All you have to do is be born rich or marry someone rich then walk by Anna Wintour’s office and you’re all set.

Source 1
Source 2

Leave a Comment

ronnie_luvs_u 14th-Nov-2012 11:50 pm (UTC)

you need connections to succeed anywhere in life. "hard work" just doesn't come in to it 80% of the time, lbr.

kdvn 14th-Nov-2012 11:52 pm (UTC)

Right. It's sad, but true. Only the best of the best will succeed on their own; the rest of us need connections.

khlassique 15th-Nov-2012 12:01 am (UTC)

my dad's always told me, "it's not what you know, it's who you know."

julietislimited 15th-Nov-2012 12:03 am (UTC)

so much truth in that statement.

hershelwalker 15th-Nov-2012 12:07 am (UTC)

that's a pretty well known phrase, and it's true.

preciosatt 15th-Nov-2012 03:01 pm (UTC)

My mum told me "it's not who you know, it's who knows you."

hershelwalker 15th-Nov-2012 12:09 am (UTC)

yup. it's depressing af.

drkshdw 15th-Nov-2012 12:33 am (UTC)

but like, you can go out and MAKE connections. it might be who you know, but networking is a big part of any job. i love making new connections. it's fun to help each other out when you're building your brands.

vanilla_09 15th-Nov-2012 02:00 am (UTC)

But how do you go about making the right connections or networking at the in the right environment when you're already ¨shut out¨ from the beginning because you don't have them. I have no idea if I'm making any sense lol.

sweet_honesty 15th-Nov-2012 01:05 am (UTC)

Especially in creative industries. Ugh.

megalixer 15th-Nov-2012 01:07 am (UTC)

It's true for any field but I definitely feel like it's more difficult to make your own connections in fashion than in other creative fields. Like, even the fashion bloggers who make it big are generally already wealthy and well-connected.

fakevoices 15th-Nov-2012 01:10 am (UTC)

it is so true

beaddddddsss 15th-Nov-2012 01:23 am (UTC)

Exactly. Getting by solely on your talent is an exception to the rule, and an inestimably small exception at that. It's either connections or, as Tina Fey puts it, "90% luck and 10% delusion."