D2D: Direct to Designer, Bibhu Mohapatra

If you happened to pick up the July issue of InStyle, you may have noticed new face Jennifer Lawrence, paired with new designer Bibhu Mohapatra. 

Born in India, Mohapatra got his fashion start by making dresses for his sisters.  After moving to New York, studying at F.I.T, and landing gigs at Halston and J.Mendel, Mohapatra decided to spread his wings and start his own label.  Recognized by the CFDA, he was named one of the 12 designers to receive a coveted position at the CFDA Fashion Incubator.  At the Incubator, we got to check out his new workspace and showroom, ogle his Fall 2010 Collection, and fall in love with a beyond beautiful wedding dress from Spring 2010.

Visit bibhu.com for a closer look at his collections, and see why everyone’s buzzing about this new designer to watch. (Bibhu Mohapatra collections are available at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus).

posted by: BC

D2D: Direct to Designer Alice Ritter (CFDA Fashion Incubator)

We stopped by up and coming designer Alice Ritter’s showroom and had the chance to talk Fall/Winter2010.  As fashion Francophiles, we love Ritter’s story of a Paris transplant who moved to NY over 9 years ago and realized her dream of designing.  Her collections hit very close to her personal style, as she generally describes it as “French girl in New York.” 

We can’t get enough of her soft billowy pieces and her chic outerwear.  The CFDA certainly can’t get enough of her feminine downtown looks as well, making her one of the 12 selected designers in their Fashion Incubator program.

Posted by: BC

CFDA Announces 2010 Awards

Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Donna Karan were nominated for Womenswear Designer of the Year; and Alexis Bittar, Marc Jacobs and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler will vie for Accessory Designer of the Year at the ceremony widely known as the fashion Oscars at Lincoln Center on June 7.

“[This] is pretty major,” Bittar told Vogue magazine. “After 19 years of work, I’m recognized by my peers, which is super great.”

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN will be honored with a posthumous CFDA Board of Directors Special Tribute award in June.

From Vogue.com. photo: ontheinside.info

posted by: FDB

GEMMA REDUX CLAIMS SPOT AS FINALIST FOR CFDA INCUBATOR INITIATIVE

As announced earlier this month, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, together with the CFDA will choose one emerging fashion design talent to inhabit a beautiful new Manhattan workspace. We are so excited that one of our favorite new vendors, Rachel Dooley, is among the 12 finalists for the program, announced today by WWD.

Her line, Gemma Redux, has been wildly successful at retail, and to say she’s an “up-and-comer” is not really accurate by our view- but there certainly could not be a more deserving candidate. Check out some of the designs from her Spring/Summer collection just out now on DS.