Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez won the inaugural CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2004, and 13 years and phenomenal successes later, the designers tipped their hats off to where it all started – here!

On Wednesday, McCollough and Hernandez hosted a cocktail at Proenza Schouler’s Greene Street boutique to unveil the 2016 CVFF finalists: Adam Selman (New York); Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk of Area (New York); Laura Vassar and Kristopher Brock of Brock Collection (New York); Chloe Gosselin (Las Vegas); Ji Oh (New York); Stirling Barrett of Krewe du Optic (New Orleans); Morgan Curtis of Morgan Lane (New York);  Maryam and Marjan Malakpour of Newbark (Los Angeles); Laurence Chandler and Joshua Cooper of Rochambeau (New York), and Chris Stamp of Stampd (Los Angeles).

The finalists were joined by many Fashion Fund alums, including Brett Heyman, Marc Alary, Tanya Taylor, Becca McCharen, and last year’s winners Aurora James, Jonathan Simkhai, and Rio Uribe.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee will meet with each finalist to review their current collections, conduct in-depth interviews and visit their design studios.

The finalists will also participate in a special design challenge underwritten by Intel, and, in October, they will travel to Los Angeles to present several looks at a fashion show at the Chateau Marmont underwritten by Kate Spade New York.

The finalists were determined by a Selection Committee with members Ken Downing, Mark Holgate, Jeffrey Kalinsky, Steven Kolb, Reed Krakoff, Jenna Lyons, David Neville, Andrew Rosen, Diane von Furstenberg, Marcus Wainwright, and Anna Wintour.

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is generously supported by underwriters American Express, Caleres, Coach Foundation, J.Crew, IMG Fashion, Intel, kate spade new york, Lane Bryant, L’Oreal, M·A·C Cosmetics, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Reed Krakoff, Rent the Runway, Theory, Tiffany & Co., TUMI, and Vogue.

The winner will receive a monetary prize of $400,000 and the two-runners up take home $150,000 each. They will be announced at a gala dinner in New York City on November 7.

“The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund helps designers develop and grow their businesses through mentoring and financial support,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA. “It is globally recognized by editors and retailers as a source for new talent and for jumpstarting the careers of important American designers.”

It all started here.