CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund announces 2019 finalists

The 10 finalists for this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund have been announced. The prestigious award has helped bolster the career of designers including Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler, Jonathan Simkhai, and Alexander Wang.

This year's finalists are Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough of Abasi Rosborough, Alejandra Alonso Rojas; Victor Barragan of Barragán, Christopher John Rogers, Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, Danielle Hirsch of Danielle Frankel, Raffaella Hanley of Lou Dallas, Siying Qu and Haoran Li of Private Policy, Reese Cooper, and Natalie Ratabesi of Tre by Natalie Ratabesi.

In a statement, Vogue editor-in-chief and Condé Nast artistic director Anna Wintour described this year's crop of designers as “a true reflection of American fashion – and the world – today, speaking to creativity, community, and sustainability.” Wintour is one of the 11 members of the selection committee.

“They are following in the footsteps of so many wonderful talents who’ve come before them, and I look forward to seeing what our class of 2019 will do in the months to come,” Wintour added in a statement.

In addition to Wintour, the 2019 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee features Joseph Altuzarra, Eva Chen, Paloma Elsesser, Mark Holgate, Jeffrey Kalinsky, Steven Kolb, Chioma Nnadi, Roopal Patel, Andrew Rosen, and Diane von Furstenberg.

Each committee member will meet with the finalists over the course of the next few weeks to interview them, review their work and visit their design studios. Meanwhile, a Business Advisory Committee, will help the designers focus on their business goals.

The winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund will receive a 400,000 dollar prize and the two-runners up take home 150,000 dollars each.

The winner and two runners-up will be announced at the awards show on November 4 in New York City featuring a runway show of the finalists’ looks. The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is generously supported by underwriters Instagram, JD.com, Klarna, M•A•C Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Theory, and Vogue.

photo: via cfda.com