Telfar Clemens, the designer behind the New York–based fashion label, Telfar, took home $400,000 on Monday night after winning the grand prize at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund awards. He was joined by two runners-up: Becca McCharen-Tran of Chromat, and Ahlem Manai-Platt of Ahlem, who were each awarded $150,000. The other seven finalists were Dyne, Victor Glemaud, Jordan Askill, Mateo New York, RTA, Sandy Liang, and Vaquera.
This year’s Fashion Fund selection committee included designer Joseph Altuzarra, Instagram’s Eva Chen, and Saks Fifth Avenue’s fashion director Roopal Patel. On Monday night, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri was the one to present Clemens with his award, with guests ranging from Nicki Minaj to Jonathan Groff in the audience. Earlier in the evening, Clemens was accompanied on the red carpet by Selah Marley, the granddaughter of Bob Marley and daughter of Lauryn Hill, who wore his designs.
Clemens, who is from Queens and founded his label in 2005, has made a name for himself in New York with Telfar’s everyday unisex designs and Fashion Week parties at White Castle. Though Anna Wintour herself isn’t a fan of fast food, she’s clearly able to to make an exception in service of young, emerging talent.