Joseph Altuzarra: CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winner! (PHOTOS)

He's cute, he's French and he just pocketed $300,000 -- some might say Joseph Altuzarra is quite the catch.

The money is just part of the prize for Altuzarra, winner of the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. At last night's awards ceremony, held at Skylight Soho in New York, Altuzarra was honored for his promise as an emerging talent with both start-up money and a mentorship from fashion industry leaders.

As CFDA president Diane Von Furstenberg said at last night's ceremony, "Once in the Fashion Fund, we will continue to guide you and protect you."

The ceremony was headlined by another hugely successful American designer: Calvin Klein. As Anna Wintour remarked in her introductions to Klein's keynote, "Calvin was always able to pluck someone from obscurity and change our perception of them."

That, of course, is the goal of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which was started in 2004 and awarded its first prize to Proenza Schouler -- and we know how that turned out.

Sharing the dais with Altuzarra were runners-up Pamela Love of Pamela Love Jewelry and Creatures of the Wind's Shane Gabier and Chris Peters. Each received $100,000.

Other finalists included Carlos Campos; Antonio Azzuolo of A.A. Antonio Azzuolo; Cushnie et Ochs' Carly Cushnie and Michele Ochs; Dana Lorenz of Fenton/Fallon; Soraya Silchenstedt of Finn Jewelry; Alexa Adams and Flora Gill of Ohne Titel; and Suno's Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty.

Read more at WWD.com... and to get to know Joseph Altuzarra, scroll down to view our slideshow of looks from Altuzarra's Spring/Summer 2012 collection, and click here!

Comments

[roblabrousse]

05:01 PM on 11/16/2011

The games people play.....

[iconico62]

02:15 PM on 11/16/2011

Most fashion nowadays is more a show of looking ridiculous. It is meant for the people who have more money than common sense and meant for self congratulatory groups. Would , for example, a Betsy Johnson pizza-throw up fright-of-a-dress ever look adorable on anyone but an energetic schizophrenic 10 year old?

[furby6]

11:20 AM on 11/16/2011

Fashion has gotten so boring and repetitive. You'd have a monster hit on your hands if you sent YSL or Dior fashion down the runway nowadays, yes even 50 years later. Those guys knew how to design and tailor stuff that people would actually wear without sacrificing originality. Heck, even movie designers like Edith Head would shine. I really miss Alexander McQueen.

[lefty81]

01:14 AM on 11/16/2011

Ugh. Really? His collections struck me wrong from the moment I saw the one he had a few seasons ago, with all the hideous red velvet cutouts. I don't know what these people are thinking..........

[madcityy]

12:33 PM on 11/15/2011

huh??????????????????????????????????

[mododavid]

11:39 AM on 11/15/2011

Groucho Marx eyebrows on all the models? wtf?

[lizmckenzie55]

09:33 AM on 11/15/2011

Oh my!

[mira chancleta]

08:48 AM on 11/15/2011

i just knew there was something to live for today.