Justin Giunta

>> Tiffany & Co. has made a $1 million gift to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund: The resultant three-year partnership includes a one-time, $250,000 business development grant for one of the nine jewelry designers who has been a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist since the competition's 2004 launch. These designers include Eddie Borgo, Pamela Love, House of Waris's Waris Ahluwalia, Monique Pean, Irene Neuwirth, Philip Crangi, Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta, Anthony Nak's Nak Armstrong and Anthony Camargo (who shuttered their line last year), and Dean Harris. Each designer has received an application for the grant, and a winner will be named this Summer. “As a leader in the jewelry industry, it is important to us that the next generation of talented jewelry designers is able to succeed in the face of the many business challenges they face,” said Tiffany chairman and CEO Michael J. Kowalski. “Partnering with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, this grant is intended to continue to develop jewelry as an important field of design.” [WWD]

>> The CFDA has had a busy last couple of nights. The 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists, which include Eddie Borgo, Pamela Love, Joseph Altuzarra, and Christian Cota, gathered at Anna Wintour's house on Wednesday night with their model muses for the design challenge cocktail party, which this year required a look for a working woman, inspired by Ann Taylor. Photos of the event can be seen here, and a video of the the finalists presenting to this year's judges can be seen here.

And last night, designers like Francisco Costa — with Bianca Jagger on his arm, Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta, Peter Som, and Yigal Azrouel braved the torrential rain to toast the CFDA and Assouline's latest tome, American Fashion Designers at Home. CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg didn't make it — she's been temporarily bedridden with a cold — but plans are already in place for the next CFDA and Assouline collaboration: American Fashion: Designers on the Go, due out in Spring 2011, which will encompass travel guide tips, suggestions, and personal photos of favorite vacation places from designers.

>> Inaugural Fashion Incubator Designers Have Officially Moved In —The first twelve designers participating in the new CFDA Fashion Incubator program — including Prabal Gurung, Waris Ahluwalia, Sophie Theallet, Bibhu Mohapatra, and Justin Giunta — which provides subsidized studios in the heart of New York's Garment District, officially moved into the space, which apparently "looks much like a shopping mall, with glass-fronted showrooms on either side of a grand aisle," last week. Advantages include retailers being able to visit the designers all at the same time and proximity to their suppliers. “The amount of time we save, even if it’s running out for a zipper, is incredible,” said Mohapatra. [NY Times]

>> The CFDA Fashion Incubator, announced last October in partnership with New York City's Mayor Bloomberg, has its first twelve tenants.  Among those named as part of the inaugural group of designers: Alice Ritter, Bibhu Mohapatra, Prabal Gurung, Sophie Theallet, Gemma Redux's Rachel Dooley, Grey Ant's Grant Krajecki, House of Waris's Waris Ahluwalia, Jolibe's Joel Diaz, Lewis's Alison Lewis, Public School's Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, Ruby Kobo's Yuvi Alpert and Danna Kobo, and Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta.

The designers each received two-year leases on design studio spaces ranging from 800 to 1,000 square feet at 209 West 38th Street in Manhattan, with subsidized, below-market rental rates of between $1,500 and $2,000 per month.  To earn a spot, the designers had to submit a business plan, show they had "substantive editorial coverage" and orders from high-level retailers, have been in business for over a year and a half, and be supporting a staff.

>> Justin Giunta Joins Tory Burch as Design Director of Jewelry —In his first long-term post for another house, Subversive Jewelry’s Justin Giunta has joined Tory Burch as design director of jewelry.  Burch says of the appointment: “I have always been passionate about jewelry, and it’s a category we want to expand."  Giunta's first collection for Burch will debut for holiday-resort season, and he plans to continue his own collections, as well. [WWD]

Chanel plans to sell transfer tattoos inspired by the inked jewelry seen on spring's runway. Les Trompe L'oeil de Chanel will be sold as a set of 55 tattoos for $70 at the current exchange.

Check out L'Wren Scott's personal photographs of party days in Paris wearing Mugler, walking Chanel couture, and dates with Mick Jagger in T magazine's profile in style.

It's official, Jeremy Scott will return to New York Fashion Week to show his fall 2010 collection on February 17 at Milk Studios.

Commes de Garcons and Trenton take two.

Justin Giunta of Subversive has been named design director of jewelry at Tory Burch.

>> All 21 designers nominated for the 2009 CFDA Awards have been photographed by Craig McDean for the CFDA Journal, but the nine who are Swarovski emerging designer nominees will also be featured in individual short films, along with an editor or stylist of their choice, to be shown at the June 15 ceremony.

The shorts, directed by Michael Palmieri and still photographed by Jennifer Livingston, feature designers Thakoon Panichgul, Jason Wu (who partnered with T fashion director Anne Christensen, left), Alexander Wang, Justin Giunta (who picked Harper's Bazaar accessories director Ana Maria Pimentel), Alejandro Ingelmo, Albertus Swanepoel, Patrick Ervell (who shot with V fashion editor Jay Massacret), Tim Hamilton and Robert Geller.  The films also feature editors Anne Slowey, Brian Coats, Brian Molloy, Kate Lanphear, Camilla Nickerson and Melanie Ward.

>> The 2009 CFDA Award nominees have just been announced, and Marc Jacobs has already won an award — the International Award for his work at Louis Vuitton (he's nominated in two more categories).  Last year's Swarovski Award winners, Rodarte and Band of Outsiders, have both been bumped up to compete in the respective major league categories, and 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund contenders Albertus Q. Swanepoel, Alejandro Ingelmo, and Jason Wu have all entered the Swarovski Award ring this year. 

We'll have to wait until June 15 to see who wins what, but the ceremony might mark fashion's first Michelle Obama event appearance — she's being honored with this year's Board of Director's Special Tribute for her style choices and penchant for up-and-coming talent.

And now, the nominees . . . »