CFDA Sets Sights on Los Angeles
Just weeks before its annual designer induction ceremony, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) said it has its sights set on the West Coast.
“California designers are an increasingly important and vibrant element of the CFDA membership,” said Peter Arnold, executive director. “We are so pleased that as the Los Angeles fashion industry has burgeoned over the past few years, our membership has grown to include these outstanding designers from the Los Angeles fashion community.”
This year’s West Coast inductees were Alhambra, Calif.–based Trina Turk and Laurie Stark, designer for Los Angeles–based Chrome Hearts. The CFDA counts 20 designers currently based in Los Angeles as members, including Bob Mackie, Anne Cole, Mossimo Giannulli, Robin Piccone, Magda Berliner, Rozae Nichols, Henry Duarte, Monique Lhuillier and Erica Courtney. The CFDA’s Bay Area membership includes Jessica McClintock, Janet Howard, Julie Chaiken, Jeanne Allen, Wynn Smith, Blake Kuwarhara, Kenneth Richards and Nicholas Graham.
The CFDA’s annual membership induction ceremony took place on Aug. 24. Approximately 200 members, retailers and fashion editors attended the event, held at CFDA board member/designer Michael Kors’ showroom in New York. Guests—including Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang and Coach’s Reed Krakoff—anticipated the impending New York Fashion Week, while Style.com Executive Editor Candy Pratts Price, GQ Editor in Chief Jim Nelson and InStyle Editor Hal Rubenstein sipped cocktails and mingled with designers. Others in attendance were new CFDA members Simon Alcantara, Brian Atwood, David Nakard Armstrong, Yigal Azrouel, Bryan Bradley, Anthony Camargo, Francisco Costa, James Coviello, Lazaro Hernandez, Jerry Kaye, Eugenia Kim, Jack McCollough, Maggie Norris, Zac Posen, Judith Ripka, Behnaz Sarafpour, Gordon Thompson, Stuart Weitzman and Edward Wilkerson.
Founded in 1962, the CFDA is a nonprofit trade association with a membership base of more than 270 fashion and accessories designers. Membership is by invitation and election and is open to American designers in the United States or abroad, as well as to international designers whose businesses are headquartered in the United States.
Each year, the organization hosts the CFDA Fashion Awards and spearheads various fashion initiatives and philanthropic programs. Members have access to mentoring programs, insurance assistance and other business services and qualify for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
California’s fashion designers have been putting their innovative creations on the fashion map with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios and, more recently, through San Francisco’s first fashion week effort.
Industry sources in Los Angeles say the New York–based designers association wants to have a bigger presence on the West Coast, particularly during Los Angeles Fashion Week. “A lot of good news has been coming out of the Los Angeles fashion industry for the past few seasons,” said a CFDA spokesman, who acknowledged the trade association’s intentions of coming to the West Coast but declined to give further details.
Fern Mallis, vice president of fashion at IMG, producer of 7th on Sixth in New York and Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., served on CFDA’s board before launching New York’s first official fashion week. Mallis confirmed reports that CFDA will play a more visible role during Los Angeles Fashion Week, adding that the organization contacted her about “coordinating something that won’t conflict with the fashion shows.”
“Los Angeles is just now building enough recognition to get noticed and be included in the national fashion scene,” said Petro Zillia designer Nony Tochterman. “It would be wise for CFDA—which was established to represent designers of America—to come here and encourage the fashion community to notice the city’s fashion designers. I welcome them.”
