The 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards are rapidly approaching, as we inch closer to June 3rd. In honor of the talented 2013 Swarovski nominees, the crystal house has created a series of short films that provide a glimpse into the inspirations and worlds of these multifaceted designers. In the first of 3 videos, allow us to introduce you to the Swarovski Award for Menswear nominees: Tim Coppens, Todd Snyder, and Public School’s Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne.

Tune into the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards on Style.com on June 4th.

Program Sponsored by Silas Chou

 With the generous support of Silas Chou, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund launched a program in 2012 to help foster the exchange of emerging design talent between the United States and China. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Vogue are pleased to announce the expanded “Americans in China” initiative, to take effect in June 2013.

Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, and Marchesa, three former CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists, will travel to Beijing, where they will present their fall-winter 2013 collections on June 21, 2013, to a select group of media and VIP guests as part of the ongoing effort to introduce American design talent to the rapidly expanding luxury market in China. The three collection presentations will take place at the Ming Dynasty City Wall Relics Park, at the Great Wall of China.

“These are exciting times in China. There is great opportunity for American designers,” said CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg.

On June 20, the designers will be honored at a cocktail reception hosted by Gary Locke, U.S. Ambassador to China, and his wife. Following the reception, Vogue China’s editor in chief, Angelica Cheung, will host a dinner to welcome the designers to the city.

About the CFDA/Vogue fashion fund:

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was established to help emerging American design talent find continued success in the business of fashion. With growing industry support, in 2010 the prize was raised to $300,000 for the winner and $100,000 to the two runners-up. It is expected that the awards will be used to further develop each designer’s business in such areas as marketing, public relations, production, and sales. In addition to the cash prizes, awards also include mentorship from an esteemed group of industry professionals whose expertise is tailored to the designers’ needs and future goals. Past mentors include Howard Socol, Rose Marie Bravo, Millard “Mickey” Drexler, Mark Lee, Maureen Chiquet, and Domenico de Sole.

Since its inception in 2003, the program has granted $3.3 million to 24 design companies, including winners Greg Chait, Joseph Altuzarra, Billy Reid, Alexander Wang, Doo.Ri, Proenza Schouler, Rogan, Sophie Theallet, Trovata, and runners-up Jennifer Meyer, Tabitha Simmons, Pamela Love, Creatures of the Wind, Eddie Borgo, Prabal Gurung, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Albertus Swanepoel, Derek Lam, Monique Péan, Patrik Ervell, Philip Crangi, Rodarte, Thakoon, Thom Browne, and Vena Cava.

In 2007, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund created a separate Business Advisory Committee to review the applications of the ten CVFF Finalists (independently of the Selection Committee) with the intent of providing a more focused business perspective and targeted feedback on the designers’ potential in the business. The Business Advisory Committee will also be available to the seven finalists (who are not chosen as a winner/runner-up) as an ongoing resource for mentoring, questions and answers, and guidance.

1. We made the decision to run our studio on wind power instead of fossil fuel.  It’s really easy for you to switch to solar, wind, or hydropower.  You can use Con Edison Solutions or Green Mountain Energy in NYC.  Switching to green energy is environmentally beneficial because it there are no emissions of carbon dioxide, mercury, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide or particulate matter into the air, water, or soil.  It derives from unlimited renewable sources and doesn’t require fossil fuel extraction that damages the land.  It can also save you money.  If you are not in New York City you can contact your energy provider and ask for alternative solutions to fossil fuel.

2. We use energy saving light bulbs in all of our light fixtures.  These actually save you money and last longer.  We use ENERGY STAR bulbs that use about 75% less energy and last 6 times longer than average incandescent bulbs.  According to their website, in 2007, Americans saved $1.5 billion by switching to ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs. The energy saved could light all the households in a city the size of Washington, DC for over 30 years. Put another way, changing these bulbs removes as much greenhouse gas pollution as planting 2.85 million acres of trees or taking 2 million cars off the road each year. Think about how much of a difference we could make if everyone switched.

3. We manufacture our jewelry pouches with women’s cooperatives in Rwanda through an organization called Indigo Africa.  By doing this we help create work for women in an area in need.  The efforts there will contribute towards the resolution of labor issues while empowering marginalized and impoverished women by providing them with both valuable job skills and a steady income.  Additionally, this creates a packaging alternative that does not utilize paper or plastic.  We try to order more packaging than we think we will need for a season to minimize the carbon output created by multiple international shipments.  When we do use traditional packaging we use 100% recycled cardboard boxes.

4. We are committed to producing and finishing every piece domestically in the United States, rather than outsourcing to factories overseas.  This approach helps create jobs in New York and significantly cuts down on the negative environmental impact that is caused by overseas production and shipping. Additionally, we source the majority of our stones from domestic mines that engage in ethical mining practices. Our decisions to use certain materials are based on whether or not they are available locally. If you are interested in working with gemstones that are mined domestically you can find more information here: www.geology.com.  They also have a directory of pay to dig mining operations in the eastern and western United States where you can mine your own stones the old fashioned way!

5. Recycling is extremely important to our business.  We work with recycled metals as much as possible and no metal goes to waste.  All excess scrap is reused or recycled for further jewelry use.  If you are going to refine your excess metal we recommend using Hoover and Strong.  They utilize environmentally friendly refining techniques.  For casting our metals, we use companies like Roni Casting or Hoover and Strong who both utilize 100% recycled casting grains. In addition to recycling our metal, it’s important to recycle in general.  One thing we have noticed that can make a big difference and save us money is to recycle cardboard shipping boxes and packing materials, such as bubble wrap, plastic bags, and tissue paper.  Every box that comes through our studio gets reused for shipments.  If customers receive a stamp that says “we recycle” or “recycled” we find that customers understand receiving their items in a box that is less than pristine, since it is environmentally safe.

Photo credit: James Perkins

Calling all emerging fashion designers! The CFDA {FASHION INCUBATOR} program is now open for applications for 2014-2016. The CFDA {FASHION INCUBATOR} is a business development program that helps cultivate emerging fashion designers in New York City by providing low-cost studio space, business mentoring, monthly educational workshops, vast networking opportunities, and more. Click here to review eligibility and application materials.

1. What was the inspiration behind this year’s CFDA journal?

The inspiration for this year’s CFDA journal was the sophistication of classic fine stationery but given a chic, fashion twist.

2. How do you make the invite different each year?

We make the invitation different each year by first looking at the CFDA identity and then considering the special feeling of the awards night for that year. We try to mash it up in a fresh way each year. We’re always trying to do something new.

3. What’s the design process behind designing an invitation for the CFDA Fashion Awards?

I always start the process by having a conversation with Diane von Furstenberg. She gives me some great buzz words, as only DVF can, and then we go from there.

4. What is the most exciting part of the CFDA Fashion Awards?

To me, the most exciting part of the CFDAs is the cocktail right before the awards begin. It’s your chance get to talk to everyone. It’s then one time when the whole fashion community comes together in one place.

5. What is your favorite CFDA Fashion Award memory?

My favorite CFDA Award memory is the first one that I went to. Donna Karan was nominated for designer of the year and she brought Barbra Streisand . Giorgio Armani presented the award to Donna. Audrey Hepburn was there with Ralph Lauren.

The CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg stated “Andy Cohen is a friend of the fashion industry and we are thrilled to have him host the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards.”

Swarovski will underwrite the event and its namesake award given to emerging talent for the twelfth consecutive year. Additionally, designers Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, and Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci will be honored at this year’s event, as well as journalist Tim Blanks and Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood .

This year’s winners will be announced from a talented group of nominees including Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Duckie Brown, Michael Bastian, Thom Browne, and Phillip Lim.

Don’t forget to tune into the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards on Tuesday, June 4^th where they will be digitally broadcast on Style.com.

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee annually selects three emerging fashion designers, who receive:

1. (1) Business mentoring from an established team of fashion industry professionals, in areas such as business planning, marketing, sourcing, production, exporting, etc. and
2. (2) To encourage and enable the recipients to pursue his/her own independent design plan (one winner at $300,000 and two runners-up at $100,000 each).

For Eligibility Requirements and more on the program, click here

Request a Preliminary Application: cvff@cfda.com

Got a favorite pair of rag & bone jeans or a J. Crew bag that lives on your left arm? Now is the time to show us! Upload a photo to Instagram using the hashtag: #CFDAready. Make it creative, exciting, and inspiring, and help us get #CFDAready to celebrate the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards and our talented roster of designers. A complete list of our members can be found here. A comprehensive list of our 2013 nominees can also be found here.

The winner will be chosen to Instagram LIVE at the 2013 CFDA Fashion Awards on Monday, June 3. Winner will be chosen based on: creativity, overall quality, and topical relevance.

Photographs should be original and taken for sole contest purposes.

For full contest rules and regulations, click here.

Lexus and the CFDA are now accepting applications for the 2013 Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge. Founded in 2010 as a response to both the CFDA and Lexus’ commitment to sustainable practices, the Award is given to designers who best demonstrate their commitment to ecologically responsible and sustainable design/production.  One (1) Grand prize of $75,000 and two (2) First prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to help increase the winning designers’ sustainable practices, and/or the promotion of sustainability in their design, business, and fashion week shows / presentations.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Designer must demonstrate (in writing, PowerPoint or otherwise) their commitment to ecologically responsible and sustainable design/production, including examples of design and/or business decisions that have been made based on an “eco” component; Designer should outline reason(s) why ecologically responsible and sustainable design/production is important to him/her;

Designer should outline his/her plan to demonstrate continued commitment to sustainability, and provide a percentage of future increased “implementation”;

Fall/Winter 2014 collection should contain no less than 30% “eco” fabrics or materials, (or 30% of line should be eco); eco production should also be addressed, if applicable;

Designers must submit sketches and examples of any/all design materials, i.e. swatches, beads, stones, wood, etc., as well as any references, inspirations or photos of your current collection. Please note that you might not receive submissions

Applications will be judged on the following: dedication to ecologically responsible and sustainable design and production (30% of overall score), ability to inspire an “eco” attitude in consumers and the community (20% of overall score), originality and creativity (20% of overall score); and presence of “eco” fabrics and materials (30% of overall score)

Designers will have the opportunity to collaborate with Lexus to be video profiled on www.lexus.com and the Lexus social media network. Photos of designers and their submissions, as well as their written statement of eco commitment, may also be used in promotions.

CFDA and Lexus will promote and support the Eco Fashion Challenge Grand Prize winner and First Prize winners via CFDA.com, www.lexus.com, and respective social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, e-mail).  CFDA and Lexus will provide cross-links on www.CFDA.com and www.lexus.com. Designers may also send promotional materials and links to their fan base.

If you are interested in participating in the 2013 LEXUS ECO-FASHION CHALLENGE please submit all of the above information and materials including the application form which must be requested — in a manner which is clear, concise and neat — to Sara Maniatty‘s attention no later than Friday, July  26, 2013. To request the application please contact S.Maniatty@CFDA.com or 212.768.5710.

2013 LEXUS ECO-FASHION CHALLENGE

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: By participating in the 2013 Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge (the “Promotion”), each entrant (each an “Entrant” or, collectively, “Entrants”)   agrees to be bound by and accepts these Official Rules (“Official Rules”) and the decisions of the Sponsor and Administrator, which are final and binding in all respects.

2. SPONSOR: The Promotion is sponsored by Lexus, a division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., 19001 South Western Avenue, Torrance, CA, 90501 (“Sponsor”), and administered by Cherrybomb Consulting, Inc., 936 24^th Street, Hermosa Beach, CA, 90254 (“Administrator”).

3. PROMOTION PERIOD: The Promotion begins on April 22, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time (“PT”), ends on July 26, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. PT (the “Promotion Period”). Sponsor’s computer is the official Promotion Period clock.

4. ELIGIBILITY:  The Promotion is open to: (a) individuals or sole proprietors who are legal residents of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in their state of residence at time of entry, 19 years old if a resident of Alabama or Nebraska, 21 years old if a resident of Mississippi, and 18 years old in all other states, (b) groups of two or more people who are each legal residents of the 50 United states and at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in their state of residence at the time of entry or (c) privately held businesses that are legally domiciled and headquartered in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia.  Any individual submitting an entry on behalf of a group or business represents and warrants that he/she is authorized to submit an entry on behalf of such group or business. The prizes will be awarded in the name of the individual(s) or business that entered.

All employees of the Sponsor, Administrator, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (“CFDA”) and all of their respective parent, subsidiary and affiliate companies, distributors, dealers, dealer advertising associations, advertising and promotion agencies and any other agency that provides services in connection with this Promotion (the “Promotion Entities”), as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and household members of each such employee, whether related or not, are not eligible to participate in this Promotion. In the event of a dispute over the identity of an Entrant in the Promotion, the Entrant will be deemed the Authorized Account Holder of the email address associated with the entry. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person in whose name the e-mail account was established. In the event a dispute regarding the identity of an Entrant cannot be resolved to Sponsor’s satisfaction, the affected entry will be deemed ineligible.  The Entrant may be required to show proof of being the Authorized Account Holder.  Entrants may not elect a proxy to enter on their behalf. Entries will not be acknowledged except as provided herein. This Promotion is governed by U.S. laws and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. Void where restricted or prohibited by law.

5. HOW TO PARTICIPATE: During the Promotion Period, visit www.cfda.com and follow the instructions on how to submit an entry into the Promotion (the “Submission”). The Submission should outline reasons why ecologically responsible and sustainable design/production is important, outline a plan to demonstrate continued commitment to sustainability, and provide the percentage number of future increased “implementation”. The Submission should also demonstrate Entrant’s commitment to ecologically responsible and sustainable design/production, including examples of design and/or business decisions that have been made based on an “eco” component.   Submissions may include, but are not limited to the following: sketches and examples of design materials (i.e. swatches, beads, stones, wood, etc.); references, inspirations or photos of Entrant’s current collection; designer logo(s), head shot(s), runway shot(s), event shot(s), runway video(s); and video interview(s).  Note: Video components are not required as part of Entrant’s Submission.  By entering the completed Submission, Entrant will receive one (1) entry into the Promotion, subject to Sponsor review, approval and compliance with these Official Rules, including but not limited to, the Submission Content Guidelines and Restrictions (the “Guidelines and Restrictions”) set forth below:

Submission Guidelines:

1. The Submission must be received by July 26, 2013;
2. The Submission must include sketches and examples of the design materials (i.e. swatches, beads, stones, wood, etc.), as well as any references, inspirations or photos of Entrant’s current collection;
3. Entrant’s collection for the February 2014 Fashion Week should contain no less than 30% “eco” fabrics or materials (or 30% of the line should be eco);
4. The Submission must outline a plan to demonstrate continued commitment to sustainability and provide the percentage number of future increased “implementation”;
5. The Submission must demonstrate Entrant’s commitment to ecologically responsible and sustainable design/production;
6. The Submission must be written in English.

Submission Restrictions:

1. The Submission must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity, copyrights , trademarks or other intellectual property rights;
2. The Submission must be original, created solely by the Entrant, and may not be plagiarized;
3. The Submission must not disparage Sponsor or Sponsor’s products and/or brands, Administrator, or any other person or party affiliated with the Promotion and administration of this Promotion;
4. The Submission must not contain brand names or trademarks, either visibly or otherwise, other than the Sponsor’s mark, which entrant has a limited license to use for the sole purpose of creating a Submission in this Contest;
5. The Submission must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene hateful, tortuous , pornographic, lewd, defamatory, slanderous or libelous;
6. The Submission must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age;
7. The Submission must not contain material that is unlawful, in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any jurisdiction where Submission is created;
8. The Submission must not include personally identifiable information of any person(s) other than Entrant. Should the Entrant include personally identifiable information about him/herself in his/her Submission, Entrant acknowledges and agrees that such information will be disclosed publicly and Entrant is solely responsible for any consequences thereof;
9. If any person(s) other than the Entrant appear in the Submission, the Entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to sending the Submission, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the Submission by Sponsor as set forth in these Official Rules.  If any person appearing in the Submission is under the age of majority in their state of residence, the signature of his/her parent or legal guardian is required on each release.

10. Entrants may not be, nor may Entrant work with parties in conjunction with their Submission, who: 1) are represented under contract (e.g., by a talent agent or manager) that would limit or impair Sponsor’s ability to display the Submission in any media form; 2) have an acting or modeling contract that would make their appearance in the Submission a violation of any third party rights; or 3) are under any other contractual relationship, including but not limited to guild and/or union memberships, that may prohibit them from participating fully in the Promotion;

11. The Submission, as of the date of submission, is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim and does not include material covered by any issued patent(s), pending patent application(s), or other form of registered or unregistered intellectual property anywhere in the world.

By entering a Submission into the Promotion, Entrant agrees that the Submission adheres to these Guidelines and Restrictions and that Sponsor may suspend Entrant’s Promotion activity and disqualify Entrant from the Promotion if it believes, in its sole discretion that Entrant’s Submission is not in compliance with the Guidelines and Restrictions and/or these Official Rules.  Incomplete, unreadable, or unintelligible entries will be disqualified. All information provided by Entrant becomes the property of Sponsor. Participation expenses will not be refunded. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

6.  WINNER SELECTION, NOTIFICATION AND CONFIRMATION: Following the end of the Promotion Period, an independent panel of qualified Judges, selected by Sponsor in its sole discretion (the “Judges”), will review and evaluate all Submissions according to the following criteria:

1. Dedication to ecologically responsible and sustainable design and production (30%);
2. Presence of “eco” fabrics and materials (30%);
3. Ability to inspire an “eco” attitude in consumers and the community (20%);
4. Originality and creativity (20%).

Using these criteria, the Judges will select one (1) potential Grand Prize Winner and two (2) First Prize Winners based on the highest scoring Submissions. In the event of a tie between two (2) or more Submissions, the Submission with the higher score in the judging criteria (1), “Dedication” category will be declared the potential winner. All prize awards are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules.

The potential Grand Prize and First Prize winners will be notified by email or phone via the contact information provided on the Submission, and will be publicly announced at the Eco-Fashion Challenge Announcement Party Event in New York taking place on a mutually agreed date between the potential winners and Sponsor.  Sponsor will not assist with or cover any travel or lodging related expenses. Each potential winner will be required to complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility (where legal) within five (5) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to claim his/her prize.  If Sponsor is unable to contact the potential winner based on the information provided, a potential winner fails to execute and return to submit the Affidavit of Eligibility within the required time period or is not in compliance with these Official Rules, or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, such potential winner forfeits the prize.  If a potential winner is disqualified for any reason, the prize may be awarded to a runner-up, if any and if time permits, at Sponsor’s sole discretion.  Only two (2) rounds of alternate winners will be selected according to the criteria set forth in Section 6, after which the applicable prize will remain un-awarded.  The winner is solely responsible for all federal, state and/or local taxes, and for any other fees or costs associated with the redemption of a prize. Each winner must provide Sponsor with valid social security number(s) or company’s EIN number for tax reporting purposes before the prize will be awarded. The information in any Affidavit of Eligibility must be correct and must be identical to the information provided in the original entry or the person or company will be disqualified. An IRS Form 1099 will be issued in the name(s) of each winner, or Entity for the actual value of the prize received. All Prizes will be fulfilled within 12 weeks after the conclusion of the Promotion.

7. PRIZES AND ARV (APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE):

One (1) Grand Prize: A check from the Sponsor in the amount of Seventy Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000).

Two (2) First Prizes: A check from the Sponsor in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000).

Total ARV of all prizes: $85,000. For all Prizes: Prize is non-transferable and no substitution will be permitted, except at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.

8. CONDITIONS/ RELEASES/DISCLAIMERS: By entering this Promotion, Entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules throughout the Promotion Period and the decisions of the Sponsor or Administrator, which shall be final and binding in all matters relating to this Promotion. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Sponsor reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Promotion (or any portion of the Promotion) at any time for any reason or should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention, extenuating circumstance or other problem/cause corrupt or inhibit the administration, security or proper play of the Promotion and, in such situation, will select the winner from eligible non-suspect entries received prior to and/or after such action or in such manner as deemed fair and appropriate by the Promotion Entities. Promotion Entities may prohibit Entrant from participating in the Promotion or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines Entrants attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Entrants or Promotion Entities representatives. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE PROMOTION. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, PROMOTION ENTITIES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

By participating in this Promotion and/or by accepting any prize, each Entrant agrees to release, defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Promotion Entities, and each of their respective successors, employees, agents, representatives and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties“) from the following: (1) any and all rights, claims and causes of action whatsoever that he/she may have, on behalf of him/herself, which may arise, for any liability for any matter, cause or thing whatsoever, including but not limited to any injury, loss, damage, whether direct, compensatory, incidental or consequential, to any person, including death and property, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a prize in the Promotion, or their participation in the Promotion, or their participation in any Promotion or prize related activity, or any travel related to the Promotion or any travel for any prize-related activity;  (2) any computer, telephone, satellite, cable, network, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, garbled or corrupt transmissions, or traffic congestion; (3) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials, incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by any web site users, tampering, hacking or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion; (4) illegible, lost, late stolen, misdirected entries or votes, or undeliverable email; (5) any inability of winner to accept or use any prize (or portion thereof) for any reason and such prize or portion thereof shall be forfeited; or (6) any printing, typographical, technical, computer, network or human error which may occur in the administration of the Promotion, the uploading, the processing or judging of entries or votes or the tabulating of votes, the announcement of the prizes or in any Promotion-related materials; (7) any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Promotion; (8) any unauthorized third party use of any entry or Submission; (9) acts of God; any action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entities (whether or not they prove to be valid); equipment failure; terrorist acts; earthquake; fire; flood; war; explosion; unusually severe weather; hurricane; embargo; labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal); labor or material shortage; transportation interruption of any kind; work slow-down; civil disturbance; insurrection; riot; or any other cause beyond Sponsor’s sole control. THE RELEASED PARTIES MAKE NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT AS REGARDS TO ANY PRIZE OR ANY COMPONENTS OF THE PRIZE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, AS SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS OF EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES. A PARTICIPANT MUST CHECK LOCAL LAWS TO LEARN IF ANY OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY.

9.  PUBLICITY/SUBMISSION TERMS: By participating in the Promotion, each Entrant agrees to allow the Sponsor and its designees the right to use their name, biographical information, photos, video, and/or likeness, statements, city and state of residence and entry materials in advertising, marketing, programming or promotional materials, worldwide in perpetuity, and on a winner’s list, without further compensation unless prohibited by law. The Grand Prize and First Prize Winners may also be asked to participate in select publicity activities, as determined at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. The Sponsor is not obligated to use any of the above mentioned information or publicity materials, but may do so and may modify such information or materials, at the Sponsor’s sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation to the Entrant. Each Entrant consents to give the Sponsor a royalty free irrevocable, non-exclusive, license to use, copy, edit, sublicense, transmit, distribute, publicly perform, publish, delete or display the Submission (including Company, Brand and Designer names), or any portion thereof, in any media now known or hereafter devised including, but not limited to all forms of electronic media, print media and all forms of internet and wireless protocol. Each Entrant understands that his or her name and Submission, or any portion thereof, may be posted on the Sponsor’s Website in connection with the Promotion. Entrant agrees that the Sponsor and its designees have no obligation to post a Submission on Sponsor’s Website.  Each Entrant releases the Released Parties, and their assigns and licensees, from any and all claims or liability (now known or hereafter arising), including but not limited to any claims for defense and/or indemnity, in connection with participation in the Promotion and the Released Parties’ use of the Submission. Each Entrant agrees and acknowledges that participation in the Promotion, including, without limitation, the Entrant’s decision to provide a Submission for purposes of the Promotion, shall not give rise to any confidential, fiduciary, implied-in-fact, implied-in-law, or other special relationship between the Released Parties and Entrant, does not place the Released Parties in a position that is any different from the position held by members of the general public with regard to elements of the Entrant’s Submission, and that the only contracts, express or implied, between the Sponsor and its designees and Entrant is as set forth in these Official Rules and any additional release forms.

10. GOVERNING LAW: Except where prohibited, by entering the Promotion, Entrants agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, this Promotion, including without limitation, any alleged violation of these Official Rules, any controversy relating to the arbitrability of any dispute, or any claim that the Promotion, or any part thereof, is invalid, illegal or otherwise voidable (or void), shall be resolved exclusively by arbitration to be held solely in Los Angeles, California under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association and pursuant to its Commercial Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures. In addition, any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with these Official Rules, and/or the rights and obligations of any participant and/or Sponsor shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Any and all claims, judgments liabilities, and/or awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred and in no event will participants be entitled to receive attorneys’ fees or other legal costs. Under no circumstances will Entrants be permitted, and Entrants hereby waive all rights, to claim punitive, exemplary, special, incidental, indirect and consequential damages and any other damages (whether due to negligence or otherwise), other than for actual out-of pocket costs and have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Judgment upon the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. This arbitration provision shall be deemed to be self-executing, and in the event that either party fails to appear at any properly noticed arbitration proceeding, an award may be entered against such party notwithstanding said failure to appear. In no event shall an Entrant seek or be entitled to rescission, injunctive or other equitable relief, or to enjoin or restrain the operation of this Promotion.

All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of this Promotion, or the rights and obligations of Entrants and Promotion Entities, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

11. PRIVACY POLICY:By entering the Promotion, Entrant understands that information is being collected by Sponsor. The information provided to Sponsor will only be used by Sponsor as provided in Sponsor’s privacy policy. See Sponsor’s privacy policy at http://www.lexus.com/privacy for details regarding use of the personal information collected in connection with this Promotion. By entering the Promotion, you grant Sponsor permission to correspond with you via email and to share your email address and any other personally identifiable information with the corresponding Promotion Entities solely for the purpose of Promotion administration, communication and fulfillment. Sponsor will not sell, rent, transfer or otherwise disclose your personally identifiable information to any third party other than the corresponding Promotion Entities as described herein.
12. WINNER’S LIST/OFFICIAL RULES: To obtain the list of the winner(s) and/or a copy of these Official Rules, send a request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Cherrybomb Consulting, 2013 Lexus Eco-Challenge Win List, P.O. Box 1276, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. The winner list will be available for 90 days after the close of the Promotion.

© 2013 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc. Lexus is a marquee of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.  All rights reserved.

Last week the CFDA hosted its first Google+ Hangout hosted by fashion icon and actress, Amber Valletta, and featuring the CFDA’s Sustainability Committee co-chairs, Melissa Joy Manning and Scott Mackinlay Hahn. To commemorate Earth Day, the group discussed environmentally responsible design practices and ways that consumers can practice environmentally safe buying behaviors. Watch the Google+ Hangout and tweet @CFDA with comments.