Daily Front Row

2010 February 1

Movin' In

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Prabal Gurung
© Patrick McMullan View Gallery

(NEW YORK) It’s not unusual to find up-and-coming designers using studio apartments as studios, but the CFDA’s Fashion Incubator program is destined to change that. Twelve designers have been named as the first tenants to of the program, backed by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which provides design studio space at 209 West 38^th Street. Alice Ritter, Bibhu Mohapatra, Prabal Gurung, Sophie Theallet, Rachel Dooley with Gemma Redux, Grant Krajecki of Grey Ant, Waris Ahluwalia of House of Waris, Joel Diaz with Jolibe, Alison Lewis with the Lewis label, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School, Yuvi Alpert and Danna Kobo of Ruby Kobo and Justin Giunta of Subversive Jewelry are the inaugural tenants of the spaces, each with a two-year lease for below-market rates of between $1,500 and $2,000 per month.

To qualify for the program, designers had to submit a business plan, show they had garnered “substantive editorial coverage” as well as orders from high-level retailers, have been in business for more than a year and a half and have a staff working for them. “The CFDA Fashion Incubator is a natural extension of what our organization already does to support emerging design talent,” said Lisa Smilor, the CFDA’s associate executive director. “We are thrilled to welcome this illustrious group of designers into the program, and are most appreciative for the support and involvement of our esteemed industry colleagues.”