The CFDA and Emerging Designers

The Fashion Grid values the work of emerging designers. No other organization has nurtured the talent and championed the business development of the next generation of designers as the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In a previous post, TFG discussed the CFDA Incubator and its role in partnering designers with NYU Stern's business students to help them grow their labels and develop a business strategy.

In addition to the Incubator, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund provides scholarships and mentorship opportunities to the next generation of designers. While some of these designers have already established themselves as fashion forces, many others are only starting to gain more recognition. We here at TFG love supporting their work. As excited as we are about each new talent and as much as we would like to cover everyone in one post, we thought it would be best to share our top favorite designers with our readers. Check them out and support their work! 

CUSHNIE ET OCHS. Womenswear. Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs are the lovely ladies behind this feminine, ultra-sexy, and modern new line CUSHNIE ET OCHS. The designers both graduated with a BA in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design. Prior to teaming up and launching their line with their Spring 2009 collection, Carly Cushnie's talent led her to design stints at Donna Karan, Proenza Schouler, and Oscar de la Renta. Michelle Ochs worked with Marc Jacobs, Isaac Mizrahi, and Chado Ralph Rucci. Their extensive experience and collaborative genius has helped put CUSHNIE ET OCHS on the map as soon as it launched. Cushnie's British background brings an international sophistication to the designs' tailoring, while Ochs' American sensibility infuses their collections with the simplicity and practicality that allows pieces to last beyond trends and turn into classics. TFG is most in love with the modern shapes and intricate details that make every dress accent the most beautiful parts of a woman's body in unexpected ways. When you look at a CUSHNIE ET OCHS design, you see what is the best part about being a woman-both feminine and strong, soft and powerful. 

Prabal Gurung. Womenswear. As a member of CFDA Incubator's inaugural class of 2012, Prabal Gurung has already established himself as the latest "it" designer among celebrities. Born in Singapore and raised in Kathmandu, Prabal studied at the New Delhi’s National Institute of Fashion Technology. In 1999, Gurung moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. He worked for Donna Karan as an intern, spent two years with Cynthia Rowley’s design team, and soon after served as the Design Director at Bill Blass. After five years at Bill Blass, Gurung left to launch his own collection during New York Fashion week in February 2009. His style can best be described as feminine and sensual with unexpected edgy details and modern cuts. Whether it's a leather belt paired with an evening gown or sexy cut outs on gold lamé, TFG loves Prabal Gurung's design aesthetic for its playful yet sleek use of colors, prints, and form.

Grey Ant. Eyewear and Footwear. A fellow LA-LA land navite, Angeleno Grant Krajecki launched Grey Ant as a eighties inspired fashion line that includes eyewear, shoes, and jeans.  The Grey Ant aesthetic is based on the brand's attempt at taking the traditional and reinterpreting it to transform it into newfound classics for the modern "everyday hero," with a specific focus on quality and individuality. TFG is particularly fond of Grey Ant's sunglasses, which have been spotted on Beyonce, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga. 

Joseph Altuzarra. Womenswear. Joseph Altuzarra was recognized by the CFDA and industry insiders very early on in his career, most recently winning first prize for the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Born and raised in Paris with a Chinese American mother and French father, Altuzarra graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Art and Art History. After moving to New York, Altuzarra worked as a designer for Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler. He also worked with Ricardo Tisci in Paris, where he honed his design skills in tailoring and draping. In 2008, he returned to New York to launch his own collection that is a culmination of the range of experience he has had in both American ready-to-wear and French couture. His pieces are elegant and structured and infuse the best of feminine frills with masculine edge. Think military jackets paired with pencil skirts or velvet trousers and over-the-knee leather boots with floral dresses. TFG is most in love with how effortlessly Altuzzara can incorporate print and color while still maintaining a polished and modern look.

Gemma Redux. Jewelry. Gemma Redux is the brainchild of mechanical engineer, turned lawyer, turned jewelry designer, Rachel Dooley. Latin for reshaped stone, Gemma Redux is the culmination of Dooley's creative streak. During law school, Dooley would turn to jewelry making as a study break and eventually left her career as a full-time attorney to focus on building her jewelry line into a full-time business. Another celebrity favorite and member of the CFDA Incubator's Class of 2012, Gemma Redux is a success story of how one's passion can also become one's career.  In terms of her design aesthetic, Gemma Redux focuses on finding new materials and creating unique silhouettes "that evoke a sense of fantasy and discovery.” TFG loves the geometric shapes and mathematical repetitions and the contrast of masculine industrial metals and shapes with feminine faceted stones and delicate metal elements. The pieces are fluid but also intentionally tough and complex made for the tough and complex girl.

Bibhu Mohapatra. Womenswear. Another member of the CFDA Incubator's Class of 2012, Bibhu Mohapatra grew up in India and began designing clothes for his sister at a very young age. After moving to New York to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, Mohapatra worked as an assistant designer for Halston and later became the design director at J. Mendel. In February 2009, the designer launched his own namesake collection at New York Fashion Week. TFG loves Mohapatra's ability to create ethereal gowns that are properly balanced with sleek silhouettes. The designer's use of textured fabrics shows a grasp of a woman's sense of glamour and reveals undertones of his cultural heritage.

 

 

There are many more emerging designers that are shaping the future of the fashion industry. And with the help and guidance of the CFDA's programs and scholarships, we have no doubt they will make their lasting mark. We encourage our readers to also check out Pamela Love for jewelry, Public School for men's wear, and Jolibe for women's wear. 

Comments

[mitch]

Prabal Gurung and Altuzarra are fashions' new stars. Cushnie et ochs have a sharp eye but considering the label was most likely partly founded with the help of fraudster Carl Cushnie, it makes makes me slightly uncomfortable.