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Posted Nov. 16, 2007, 2:12 p.m. ET

CFDA/VOGUE Awards Do it Again

By Kim Hastreiter

My partner David Hershkovits always says that we live in a parallel universe here in the world of PAPER. When everyone in the fashion world is shopping at Seventh on Sale, PAPER is opening a cuckoo 24-hour store in Los Angeles. When we are hailing someone as a fashion genius, the mainstream fashion organizations of our country are ignoring them.

Well I really felt that way big time this morning when I found out last night that the groundbreaking, dedicated fashion team of Threeasfour had not won the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Awards. And I was SO POSITIVE that they would win this -- hands down. To me this was a no-brainer. And hey, not only did they not win (which they should have) but they did not even place in the top three. This is really upsetting to me because not only were they the most innovative creative team to be nominated in a long time, but they are also so perfectly poised to go to the next step with a wonderful business team of people surrounding them ready to go. How can the CFDA/Vogue call it a fashion award when they constantly refuse to recognize the fashion innovators of America? (Or at least until they after they are dead.)

I love Rogan (the winner of last night's $200,000 award) and the jeans he designs, but is he really a fashion designer??? Is Rogan really more innovative when it comes to fashion than Threeasfour? Was the Trovata team (who won a few years ago) really more innovative as designers than Isabel Toledo (who was also ignored)?? I mean WHAT is wrong with this picture???? I think that going forward, the most true-blue innovative FASHION designers need to think hard before putting themselves through this grueling process in the future. The odds are great that they will never make the cut because this competition has more to do with business and much less to do with the magic of and passion for great fashion.

Bummer.

Comments

Why didn't Threeasfour win the CFDA award?

Simple... too much past drama.

It's not to say that the collective is not immensely talented or deserving... they absolutely are.

But that crew is always bringing the drama... from public bickering, literal street fighting, Fleetwood Mac-esque internal love affairs and all other sorts of sundry affairs, it would have been very unlike the CFDA to award the top prize to the Threeasfour crew.

Sorry, that's my view, IMHO.

Posted at 3:34 p.m. ET on Nov 16, 2007 by astralgirl01

I ABSOLUTELY AGREE. I USED TO INTERN FOR THREEASFOUR AND I WOULD HAVE BET MY LIFE ON THEM WINNING. I AM SHOCKED AND APPALLED!!

Posted at 6:23 p.m. ET on Nov 16, 2007 by Anonymous

^I agree

As Four was the fashion equivalent of that lame disco band Bloc Party- pretentious hipster dorks that hit on something brilliant every now and then (see Tulips, As Four FW 05/06). Fractals are cool, as is 70s space opera. But threeasfour lacks the excitement of four polar personalities coming together in relative harmony.

No wonder Rogan won

Posted at 9:22 p.m. ET on Nov 16, 2007 by Gryphon

personal drama and publicity stunts should not affect the talent and creativity produced by designers such as threeasfour. as someone who has passion for conceptual "REAL" fashion design, i completely understand the viewpoint of the author of this entry. real fashion designers are always, ALWAYS under estimated with the reason that "no one gives a f___ about the concept behind clothing..they just want to wear what's pretty." ive heard that innumerable times and its really sad because there IS a number, even if it is small, of people who truly appreciate fashion for what it is. america is too much about business and marketing and selling...and money. hopefully sometime in the future this will change. or maybe they should make a council for conceptual fashion designers (or REAL) designers. anyway, i'm glad that i am not the only one who cares.

Posted at 11:47 p.m. ET on Nov 16, 2007 by granden

i am shocked that threeasfour didn't win. there was past drama with them but they have been at it a long time and trovata? what happened with that mess. either way threeasfour is definitely the talent of the bunch, and if you wanted a good designer that might appeal to the masses philip lim should have won.

Posted at 2:20 p.m. ET on Nov 17, 2007 by c

Well PAPER obviously has its opinion of what they think are innovative artists or ways in which they think they are being innovative which does not always catch other peoples eye.....I think some of the things you try and do or put out are interesting but other things which you may consider avante garde are merely consumerism art dressed as something quite the norm and not entirely innovative ......I think you limit your L.A. visits and that there are tons of things happening around this city I live in which you do not even touch maybe because it is not in the celebrity based world which you seem to navigate in ....my suggestion really get out into the L.a. lifestyle...in all its diverse scenes.Ones which may not include the popular DJs......Ann Magnuson every now and then touches upon these but still there are so many artists out there you are not seeing and its a shame.....

Posted at 10:43 p.m. ET on Nov 17, 2007 by randy focazio

i agree that threeasfour should have won, a) the competition is for design, not marketability b) the money is to boost their business, i'm sure rogan really needs the 200G when hes designing Bonos jeans

crangi's the only one who really needed it that got anything

as much as this is stupid, we are living in america and im not exactly surprised with this seasons decision

Posted at 11:52 p.m. ET on Nov 17, 2007 by Anonymous

Oh Kim I'm so glad to hear this said. I wholeheartedly agree with your comments and the sentiment you shared. Remember the day Trovata won? Quite a few people at work were following the runup to the prize. On the day the results were announced I wasn't the only one who felt the contest lost it's credibility. (the rationale everyone shared then was 'they were Anna's pet project). This year is the same, so I feel worse for even raising hopes for Three As Four. The jurists claim the prize is about helping the young pioneers, the innovators who could put this prize with its connections to great experience and publicity to use. We've yet to see that promise come to pass.

Posted at 3:52 p.m. ET on Nov 18, 2007 by Randall

As much as I love threeasfour for their design innovation, I was glad to see the Vogue award go to Rogan who is incredibly devoted to fashion sustainability and eco-consciousness.

At the end of the day we should care about how innovated our clothes are in terms of how much of an impact they have had on the world and its people.

Posted at 9:13 a.m. ET on Nov 19, 2007 by yer

i love the dialogue that this is creating. I have a good friend who i really respect who is part of this CFDA/VOGUE committee and she was really upset at me for my comments. I dont want to imply that I think what Rogan does is not important and innovative as far as his company and business model. I admire him tremendously. I realize that my basic problem is that in America, SPORTSWEAR is considered FASHION. I do not consider Rogan a FASHION DESIGNER. I think he is a SPORTSWEAR DESIGNER. Yes America invented Sportswear for sure and America invented the Sportswear BUSINESS for sure as well. But I thought this award was for FASHION.
I guess the disconnect to me is when something is called FASHION i expect a different definition. But according to my friend SPORTSWEAR IS REALLY a major PART OF AMERICAN FASHION TO HER. So be it. (I think these Sportswear and Fashion are not the same). At this cfda/vogue award, FASHION and INNOVATION are not the PRIMARY criteria for American Fashion but rather it really is a SMALL FASHION or SPORTSWEAR BUSINESS award. That was my other misconception. I think anyone applying for this award, (whether brilliantly creative or not) needs to understand this or they will be disappointed as I was. Unfortunately most of the truly innovative brilliant creators are not so hot at articulating their business model so often hey will not win this business mentoring award.

I apologized to her for advising the kids not to apply for this in my blog but I do think that they need to warn their idealistic applicants in the future that they need to have their eyes wide open when they apply. Naively many creatives think of the word FASHION and think only of innovation/creativity/design. This is only half of what this award is about.This is not about the best creators. This is about the most talented American fashion or sportswear designers who have a definite business model and plan in their mind for growth that they can articulate to judges.

Thanks to all of your for your thoughtful comments!

Posted at 11:02 a.m. ET on Nov 20, 2007 by kim hastreiter

umm, H.E.L.L.O.!!! who are the sponsors of CFDA? well, I'll tell you ...
Among others, it includes:
Coach
Juicy Couture
Gap
DVF
Tommy Hilfiger

and of course the awful Anna,
Vogue (if only it was French Vogue .. haha)

3as4 had no chance!

Posted at 9:05 p.m. ET on Nov 20, 2007 by we love carine

I must confes that I am not too familiar with Threeasfour's work but it doesn't surprise me that a small independent fashion-forward label did not win the award. Like most such awards it's more about being someone's darling in the "club", who-knows-who, connections and the what-nots. I agree with Kim that Sportswear is not Fashion,and such awards should be about incentive to creativity and innovations - not about who will be the next Tommy Hilfiger (yuk).

Pumpkin Man

www.little-pumpkins.blogspot.com

Posted at 4:11 p.m. ET on Nov 21, 2007 by Pumpkin Man

i couldnt agree with this post more.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it makes me furious.
its all about what anna wintour thinks has the most sellability.

Posted at 2:32 a.m. ET on Apr 27, 2008 by bluyelo