Ahlem Eyewear designer Ahlem Manai-Platt wearing a watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre. Photo by Dan Monick for Vogue Arabia
Ahlem Manai-Platt of Ahlem Eyewear is one of two runners-up for the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. She was awarded with a prize of US $150,000. Designer Telfar Clemans of namesake brand Telfar took home the ready-to-wear design prize of US $400,000, meanwhile Becca McCharen-Tran of swimwear brand Chromat was awarded with US $150,000 as a runner-up. The winners were announced during a star-studded gala dinner at The Weylin in Brooklyn on Monday, which was attended by the likes of judges Maria Grazia Chiuri, Alexander Wang (recipient of the 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize), Teyana Taylor, and Imaan Hammam among others. The event was hosted by CFDA President and CEO Steven Kolb alongside Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.
Ahlem is having a standout 2017. French-Tunisian designer sells her on-trend pieces in a recently-opened standalone boutique on Abbott Kinney Boulevard, and was featured on Vogue Arabia’s June issue. Manai-Platt, who relocated to Venice Beach, California with her husband, also has a cool, futureproof sense of fashion to boot.
Highlighted in the It Girl feature, the designer admits: “I’m very Parisian in my style sense, but it has become even more low-key since I moved to Venice Beach with my husband three years ago. It has a vibe that doesn’t live by brands or trends.” She adds ““I like it when functionality meets beauty in design,” she says. “I’m drawn to structure and lines derived from Bauhaus, Art Deco, and Pointillism,” she adds, speaking about her favorite Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso watch.
Telfar was founded by the American-Liberian designer in 2005. On the brand website, Telfar describes itself as “a unisex line Est in 2005 in NYC by Telfar Clemens and sold internationally. It’s not for you — it’s for everyone.”
Meanwhile, Chromat is an architectural swimwear label, which had one of the most diverse runway shows of New York Fashion Week, featuring models of all sizes, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds including plus-size model Jordyn Woods.
The announcement coincides with the 2017 DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize jury deliberations, which are currently underway in Dubai. This week, five ready-to-wear, five accessories, and three high jewelry design finalists will be presenting their Spring 2018 collections to the jury committee. The winners take home a collective grant valued at US $250,000; receive mentorship; the opportunity to produce the winning collections for sale at Harvey Nichols – Dubai and Bloomingdale’s Kuwait; and an advertising campaign. The winners are set to be announced during a gala dinner on Wednesday.
Meet The Tunisian Designer Nominated for a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award
