Here We Have It: The 2012 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Contenders

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The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has announced this year's finalists for the annual competition, which gives emerging designers a chance to win a cash prize and mentorship from industry notables like Diane von Furstenburg and Mickey Drexler. It's a big deal for designers, as the cash prize is major and the publicity can make or break a brand (past winners include Proenza Schouler Joseph Altuzarra, for example.) Here are this years nominees:

Andrea Lieberman; A.L.C.
Greg Armas; Assembly New York
Sofia Sizzi; Giulietta
Justin Salguero, Daniel Silberman, and Alina Silberman; Illesteva
Jennifer Fisher; Jennifer Fisher Jewelry
Jennifer Meyer Maguire; Jennifer Meyer
Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty; Suno
Tabitha Simmons; Tabitha Simmons
Greg Chait; The Elder Statesman
Wes Gordon; Wes Gordon

Participants will begin the competition this month by showing their collections to a panel of judges at the end of July and then rival each other in fashion challenges, such as designing for Tiffany's and producing a runway show at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. A winner and two runner-ups will be announced on November 13. The winner scores $300,000 and each runner-up will cash in on $100,000, (and if past seasons are any indication, they're also likely to nab a high profile collab with J.Crew), so these guys have every reason to fight to the (fashion) death. We wish 'em all luck!
· The CFDA Has Officially Incubated its Latest Group of Designers [Racked]
&183; It's Official: The Altuzarra for J.Crew Collab Arrives on Thursday [Racked]