A recap of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and Nordstrom Secure the SPACE challenge

Jun 18, 2025

As I briefly touched on in Sunday’s newsletter, last Thursday I attended a breakfast and shopping event hosted in partnership with the CFDA, Vogue, and Nordstrom. The event was held to celebrate this year’s new crop of CVFF finalists and also served as the precursor to the Secure the SPACE challenge, where each designer pitched their brand to the Nordstrom team in hopes of being picked up for the upcoming season. (Spoiler alert: Ashlynn won the challenge, which means you’ll be able to shop her collection at Nordstrom soon.)

As I mentioned in Sunday’s letter (and if you haven’t read it yet, you really should), SPACE is a section in select Nordstrom stores that was created to spotlight emerging and directional designers in a way that feels closer to a boutique experience in a traditional department store.

Me trying on one of Ashlynn’s fantastic pieces of outerwear.

The event was held in a penthouse suite at the Greenwich Hotel with a view overlooking downtown New York, which was only made better by the incredible weather. In total, there are ten finalists, each set up throughout the suite so guests could browse their collections, try things on, and even make a purchase if something caught their eye.

What I love most about these types of experiences, aside from getting to see and feel clothing or jewelry you may have only come across digitally, is getting to meet the actual designers and hear firsthand how they think about their work and where they want to take it.

A snapshot of Ashley’s work for Don’t Let Disco.

For some of them, this is more like a second act. Julian Louie launched Aubero in 2022, but fashion folks might remember his namesake womenswear line from years ago that earned him the title of “fashion’s new prince.” There’s Ashley Moubayed of Don’t Let Disco, a friend of the newsletter, who started the brand while still working at Sotheby’s and eventually left the corporate world to focus on it full-time. Ashlynn Park of Ashlyn is a master patternmaker who cut her teeth at Yohji Yamamoto before moving to New York to work at Calvin Klein during the Raf Simons era. Jamie Okuma, who is known for her one-of-a-kind beaded pieces, shared that she started translating her beadwork into prints so more people could experience her designs, especially since the originals are so limited.

Each designer has a story, and the CFDA has spent the past three decades championing these voices with the help of longtime supporters like Nordstrom.

A bit of everyday sarong styling inspiration from Aubero.

You’ll probably be seeing more about these ten finalists throughout the year, leading up to the final selection later this year. On my end, I thought it would be fun to experiment with video, so I asked each designer a few questions to help you get to know them and their brand a bit better. I’ve also gone through and picked three standout pieces from each, so you all can start getting familiar with their work too.

Wishing all the finalists the best of luck!

*****Editor’s Note: If you’ve been hit with a bout of the shoppies, Nordstrom’s designer clearance sale is officially underway. I pulled together an edit of the pieces I found worthy of your attention. You’ll find poolside ready heels, a pair of sculptural everyday hoops, a fresh take on the quintessential summer dress, and more.*******

Ashlyn

Ashlynn Park

Notable Pieces: Teriot Skirt Pants // Lulu Half-Sleeve Peplum Blouse (~~$860~~$516)// Aislinn Wool Silk Coat Dress

Aubero

Julian Louie

Notable Pieces: Clemente Button Shirt // Off-Cuts Stripe Pants // Miraval Stripe Short (~~$795~~$237)

Bach Mai

Bach Mai

Notable Pieces: Sculpted Back Bomber Jacket // Ombre Flounce Circle Skirt // Bias Drape Midi Dress (~~$1295~~$259)

Bernard James

Bernard James

Notable Pieces: 18k Yellow Gold Mirror Ear Cuff (~~$675~~$472)// Flora 14k Sunflower Earrings// Process 18k Pave White Diamond Mirror Logo Pendant Necklace