Previous winners of the $400,000 and $150,000 grants, given to the winner and two runners up respectively, include Jezebel favorites Christopher John Rogers (whose FW 2020 show lives rent-free in my brain), Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss, and Telfar designer Telfar Clemens. The effects of receiving said grant, I think, are obvious—exposure, branding mentorship, and sales. The Telfar bag, for instance, has become the most sought after new-luxury item across a wide swathe of consumers.
Among the designers listed above, I want to take a brief moment to celebrate LaQuan Smith, king of the plastic cheetah dress and cowboy hat, who sent a brilliant collection down the runway in 2020. At the time I praised Smith for his deep understanding of the market for which he designs. I expect fabulous things of him and the house after the grant money hits the bank account.
Wintour also said: “After an incredibly challenging time for all of us in fashion, especially here in New York, we’re thrilled that this year we are able to support all of our finalists. ” Regardless, the move to award all designers the grant seems like it could be tactical as well—at least for Anna Wintour, who has received an overwhelming amount of criticism in the last year for allegedly racist work environments at Condé Nast, the undoing of Bon Appétit, and André Leon Talley’s memoir, which called Wintour a “colonial broad.”
In her statement following the announcement of this year’s finalists, Wintour claimed that “It’s not only a vote of confidence in their talents, but in a brighter future for American fashion.” To those same designers, I say: take the money and run with it.
