Erdem Moralioglu

>> Erdem Moralioglu, who dropped by Saks Fifth Avenue in New York yesterday for a trunk show, was evasive when asked whether he was Kate Middleton's wedding dress designer: "I mean, any mention like that is just a huge compliment. It’s so flattering! I will say that Kate is very beautiful . . . " He also sounds like he's not ready to take on a mass collaboration anytime soon : "It’s come up so many times, but I’m just too focused on my own collection at this point. It takes up all my time! But in the future, down the line . . . who knows?" One thing he will be doing soon — while he's in New York? Going to J.Crew. "I love J.Crew, we don't have [it] in the UK." [Fashionista, StyleList]

>> Emerging London talent is finally getting its due. Just last week, Anna Wintour threw a party in New York for 20 up-and-coming London talents, and now this morning, Erdem Moralioglu was named the inaugural British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner.

Moralioglu's award, much like its US counterpart from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, includes prize money ringing in at £200,000 (approx. $303,000) and access to high-profile mentors for the next year to help him create a global brand. He beat out fellow nominees including Christopher Kane, Angel Jackson, Clements Ribeiro, Patrick Grant of E. Tautz, Marios Schwab, Nicholas Kirkwood, and Richard Nicoll.

So what does he plan to do with the money? »

London-based Erdem Moralioglu beat out Christopher Kane, Angel Jackson, Clements Ribeiro, E. Tautz, Marios Schwab, Nicholas Kirkwood, and Richard Nicol to win the first BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund award, taking home the cash prize of £200,000.

Erdem told Vogue.com UK last week that should he win the grand prize, he would use the funds to hire more staff and invest in a new studio space.

"It is an honour," Moralioglu said upon receiving the award. "The prize will help us to take our business to the next level. It is so integral for us to be showing in London and the support of the BFC and Vogue will allow us to grow our business internationally. It is such an exciting time for us."

Of the eight finalists, Erdem was selected for his "strong design signature and clear vision for the immediate development and growth of his business," the BFC said.

>> The Row to Show at New York Fashion Week; Derek Lam Downsizing —Just a day after she stepped out of her usual red carpet uniform — The Row — and instead wore Erdem for the Golden Globes afterparty circuit, Ashley Olsen and her sister Mary-Kate announced that they will be joining the New York Fashion Week scene next month with a presentation for The Row.  Derek Lam, meanwhile, is going for a more intimate runway show at the Capitale ballroom in the Lower East Side for Fall 2010 — the venue can only accommodate half the number of people he hosted last season. [WWD]

>> Alexander Wang is experiencing quite the winning streak — he was awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund of $200,000 last November, the 2009 CFDA Swarovski Womenswear winner this past June, and now he's taking home the 2009 Swiss Textiles Award, a prize of about $150,000, to go towards international development.  Wang becomes the second American designer in a row to win the Swiss Textiles Award, following after Rodarte, who were the first American winners ever last year.

The jury this year, chaired by Isabel Toledo, apparently had a tough time making a decision — Wang's fellow finalists this year were Peter Pilotto, Erdem, Thakoon, Alexis Mabille, and Ohne Titel, who will each receive a prize of approximately $6,000.

Former winners, Raf Simons, Kate Mulleavy sound off »

>> Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte became the first American designers to take home the 100,000 euro Swiss Textile Award last year, and the 2009 nominees are half American brands this time around: Thakoon Panichgul, Ohne Titel, Alexander Wang, Erdem, Alexis Mabille, and Peter Pilotto among them.

A winner will be announced Nov. 12, but in the meantime, Wang, who's been on an winning streak with the 2009 Swarovski Award for Womenswear and the 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award under his belt, recently spoke to Vogue about how he's gotten so far in such a short time.

He's known for his model selection now, but in the beginning, they came from Craigslist.

"In one of the first pictures we did, the model, who we found on Craigslist, was just wearing a sweater, slouching, and smoking a cigarette. People identified with her then, and she hasn’t changed much since.”

"When I first started, my product was definitely a lot safer . . ." »