CFDA

Brazilian supermodel Raquel Zimmerman has been photographed exclusively by Mikael Jansson for a special book that will be handed out to attendees at this year's black-tie CFDA affair.

Frillr Fashion Week Party correspondent Emmis was on hand for the CDFA/GA party. Words spilled from his Berry like heated poison. To summarize.

This is cute. Chad White is tall and hot.
Umm Why is Chad White standing around for hours on a plank with ?
Chad White is really TALL
GYM .
Hot Shoes.
GYM
White pumps and White Leggings?
Givenchy Darling.....
Poor Chad White

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, widely known as the CFDA, announced today the establishment of the CFDA Business Services Network (BSN), a community of businesses dedicated to creating custom programming and strategic value, access, and opportunities for members of the CFDA, Fashion Week Daily Reports.

“The organization’s mission is to provide service to its constituents at every level, from the student, to the emerging designer, to the principal of a mature, but growing, fashion business,” said Rachel Schechtman, director of strategic partnerships at the CFDA. Such event only proves how vast CFDA's desire is to consolidate themselves as the true global leaders of the segment. In addition, it’s highly visible how they strongly pursue America’s economic development; but not by enlarging the already stable business, but by helping the “little guys” to grow and to settle down.

The current president of the CFDA is non-other than Diane Von Furstenberg. Her first major initiative was developing the network, which is comprised of three components: Corporate Affiliates, Partnership Perks, and the Job Desk.

- Corporate Affiliates have the opportunity to work with the CFDA membership of over 300 designers and businesses to host and participate in educational roundtable events and be given access to targeted custom sponsorship opportunities.
- The Partnership Perks angle provides the opportunity for businesses with relevant products and services to gain access to CFDA members through facilitated special offers.
- The Job Desk portion is an online resource network through which CFDA members can pursue or post freelance and full-time job opportunities. This service will eventually extend to entry-level and internship postings for students and recent graduates.

Source: FashionWeekDaily - bullet points were fully extracted from their website.

For the last four years, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund selects three emerging fashion designer who receive business mentoring from an established team of fashion industry professionals, in areas such as business planning, marketing, sourcing, production, exporting, etc. and to encourage and enable the recipients to pursue his/her own independent design plan (one winner at $200,000 and two runners-up at $50,000 each) - obtained from their website. Today, the 2007 finalists were announced and it was quite the emotional day.

The designers include Erin Fetherston of Fetherston Design Group; Phillip Lim of 3.1 Phillip Lim; Rogan’s Rogan Gregory; Philip Crangi of Philip Crangi Jewelry; Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders; Threeasfour’s Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser, and Adi Gil; Nunthirat Koi Suwannagate of Koi; Vena Cava’s Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai; Victoria Bartlett of VPL, and Michael Bastian, Fashion Week Daily reports. It’s a very difficult award to receive and a highly meaningful one - it represents the further acceptance of the industry and implies a profound support on their behalf.

In order to be awarded with such delightful honor, there are seven phases to overcome by the designer and a long application form to fill in - including a 350 word essay about why they should be elected. Such tasks include having been in business for a minimum of two consecutive years; being a designer of demonstrable talent and having a professional staff - for more information visit their official website where all further details will be carefully explained.

The founders and main supports of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund are: Gap, Underwriter, Barneys, NewYork, Coach, Juicy Couture, Kellwood Company, Liz Claiborne, Inc., Lord & Taylor, L’Oréal Paris, Nordstrom, Theory and Vogue.

As CFDA time approaches, I feel obliged to support one of the nominated designers for the menswear award - Italo Zucchelli is my choice.

Despite being an amazing designer, Ralph Lauren does not "fit", in my opinion, the contemporary fashion scene. He has built an empire; indeed a fashion empire, but with no true appreciation for art. His garments lack personality - the plaids, the khakis, worked fine decades ago and now they are just classic pieces with highs and lows like any other item. I totally accept the decision of naming him a "legendary" designer and I think that rewarding his vast career and profound experience is absolutely fabulous, but that's about it.

Italo Zucchelli has evolved enormously over the last few years - different from Alexandre Plokhov who received more hope and was kind of a disappointment. Having worked with for Jil Sander and Romeo Gigli, Italo has overcome the gigantic pressure of becoming the creative director of a multinational firm that grosses over $4 billion dollars annually and of a label that was almost artistically sunk.

The Italian born designer, captured a minimalist concept of fine garment crafting and elaborated a marvelous collection - that is definitively worth comparing with Raf Simons for Jil Sander work. Light colors and even lighter cuts, Italo gave birth to the modern silhouette of the working man. The epitome of high-end business attire relies on the magnificent concept of style Italo has. Yellow and blue compliment the gray, and the gray itself settles the basis for a structural, yet fresh collection.