What does it take to “Secure the SPACE?”

For the current crop of 10 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (CVFF) finalists, this was the question on Tuesday morning at The Edition Times Square. They gathered at the hotel’s Bar space – lush and almost tropical in vibe – and presented and offered their collections to top Nordstrom customers and Vogue100 members. There, they also participated in the special “Secure the SPACE” challenge presented to them by longtime CVFF underwriter Nordstrom with the selected winner having their collection carried at select Nordstrom stores for a future season.

Selection Committee member and Nordstrom EVP of Apparel and Designer Sam Lobban (EVP GMM) called this moment “a celebration of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.”

“We wanted to create a room where people see the product and the collections and speak to the designers,” he said. “Nordstrom has been a supporter of the CFDA VFF since 2006 and we’re very proud. For the first time this year, there is an addition – a mini challenge.”

CFDA CEO Steven Kolb added, “Next year is the 20^th anniversary of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. It’s not an easy path to get here; Nordstrom has always been about innovation and new designers. We all appreciate going into Nordstrom and discovering things and I hope you discover things today.”

A sense of discovery was indeed in the air as shoppers rifled through the racks, spoke to designers about their inspirations and philosophy, and tried on looks from them.

The 2023 finalists are Angelo Fabricio Urrutia of 4SDESIGNS, Colin LoCascio, Rachel Scott of Diotima, Kim Shui, Kozaburo Akasaka of Kozaburo, Melitta Baumeister, Sami Miro of Sami Miro Vintage, Fletcher Kasell and Tanner Richie of Tanner Fletcher, Everard Best and Téla D’Amore of Who Decides War, and Henry Zankov of Zankov.

For the challenge, Lobban was joined by Nordstrom Women’s Fashion Director Rickie De Sole and Men’s Fashion Director Jian DeLeon in the “Secure the SPACE” challenge. The finalists were invited to pitch their collection to them and tell their story and why Nordstrom SPACE – the in-store and online boutique dedicated to advanced and emerging designers – should offer them for one season.

Fashion Fund alums turned out in droves to support the current class. They included Gigi Burris, Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Jonathan Cohen, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, Edvin Thompson, Danielle Hirsch Frankel, Omar Salam, Jackson Wiederhoeft, Conley Averett, Felisha Noel.

“It’s a little reunion,” said Lauren Harwell Godfrey.

Indeed it was, and a lovely one at that.