This peek at the top five collections casts a spotlight on the most au courant accessories. Proenza Schouler and Prada both look to midcentury Americana, invoking the smoldering glamour of 1940s California and summery, slightly cheeky 1950s Southern California, respectively. With Louis Vuitton, sugar sweetness is superbold. Céline creates streamlined cool with androgyny and minimalism, and Jil Sander explores all of the nuances and complications of femininity. Our look at the season ahead.

Re-posted from WSJ Magazine. Check out the original post here.

If a downtown art-house darling were to dress up as a 1940s screen siren, she'd pluck her wardrobe from Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez's spring collection: retro Hawaiian florals with skin-baring cutouts and A-line eelskin skirts in geek-out stripes. She'd carry only the essentials, and for that there's a burnt sienna camera bag to swing from the wrist.

Prada's pastel swing coats, bandeau tops and pleated skirts feel youthful and reminiscent of a decadent summer spent among the spiky palms and expansive vistas of 1950s Southern California. For a touch of playful, drive-in theater cheekiness, there are clutches and heels tricked out with silhouettes of classic cars.

Sweet is sexiest when there's a hint of deception. At Louis Vuitton, icy-blue bags and acid-yellow mules complement nipped-waist dresses, drowning in oversize plastic daisies and peekaboo broderie anglaise. Going this fluffy is actually an act of boldness.

For a woman who prefers straight-lined minimalism to convey a sense of understated power, Phoebe Philo offers the allure of androgynous fashion -- and this brick-red envelope clutch. This is what cool looks like right now.

This season, Raf Simons explores a slightly eerie, repressed side of femininity. Neon paisleys, lavender gingham skirt suits, white nurse shoes and structured patent frame bags are pieces that feel both innocent and complicated.

The Fashion Fund, created by the CFDA and Vogue to aid young and emerging designers, includes a mentorship program and a cash prize. Altuzarra took home $300,000 while runners-up Pamela Love of Pamela Love Jewelry and Shane Gabier and Chris Peters of Creatures of the Wind walked away with $100,000 each.

Those that went home empty-handed were Suno’s Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis; Carlos Campos; Antonio Azzuolo of A.A. Antonio Azzuolo; Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs of Cushnie et Ochs; Ohne Titel’s Alexa Adams and Flora Gill; Fenton/Fallon’s Dana Lorenz, and Soraya Silchenstedt of Finn Jewelry.

This year’s selection committee included Vogue’s editrix-in-chic Anna Wintour, CFDA prez Diane von Furstenberg and CEO Steven Kolb, Theory‘s Andrew Rosen, Coach‘s Reed Krakoff, J. Crew‘s Jenna Lyons, and past Fund winners — Proenza Schouler‘s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. [WWD]

For more information on The Fund, visit Vogue.com.

Anna Wintour and her flock of the fabulous have meticulously the selected 10 designers (and design duos) in the running for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. Last year, Billy Reid took the top prize of $300,000, a year of mentorship and a bronze trophy. The two runners-up Prabal Gurung and Eddie Borgo each took home $100,000 and a year of mentoring. This year, the judges are Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler (who join the committee for the first time this year), Mark Holgate of Vogue, Jeffrey Kalinsky of Jeffrey and Nordstrom, Steven Kolb of the CFDA, Reed Krakoff of Coach, Jenna Lyons of J.Crew, Andrew Rosen of Theory, Diane von Furstenberg of the CFDA, and of course the Queen herself, Anna Wintour of Vogue.

See all the of nominees here:

A. A., Antonio Azzuolo

Winners

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Proenza Schouler

The kids, Jack and Laz

Menswear Designer of the Year: Michael Bastian

Bastian next to a surprisingly sexy Gerard Butler

Accessory Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang

Wang with fairy godmother, Iris Apfel

Prabal saddling up next to Alessandra Ambrosio

Super adorable pocket person Eddie Borgo with Guinevere Van Seenus

Gags

Rosie Rubenstein

Philo with BFF Kanye West

Sofia Coppola will present good friend and longtime fag to her hag, Marc Jacobs with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, amidst a roar of boos. Somehow Jessica Alba scored an invite and will hand over the Founders Award to Hal Rubenstein and sexy septuagenarian Grace Coddington will hurl the Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award to an unsuspecting Arthur Elgort. Karolina Kurkova, not to be outdone, will present the three Swarovski Awards.

Meanwhile, Patrick Ervell dug up Kirsten Dunst for his date, Micahel Kors will be chaperoned by Ashley Greene and Calvin Klein‘s Francisco Costa by noted actress Kerry Washington. Liv Tyler forsake frequent gal-date Stella McCartney for the humpy Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler and last but not least, Chlöe Sevigny will stumble into the ceremony with MAC Cosmetics.

This should make the FiFis look…well, like the FiFis. [WWD]

Sofia Coppola and designer Marc Jacobs depart the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala "Superheroes: Fashion And Fantasy" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2008 in New York City. "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Departures The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY United States May 5, 2008 Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com To license this image (15782602), contact WireImage.com

And the nominations go to:

For Womenswear Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, Marc Jacobs

For Menswear Designer of the Year: Michael Bastian, Patrik Ervell, Simon Spurr

For Accessories Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, Reed Krakoff

A number of designers have also been nominated for the Swarovski Awards:

For Womenswear Designer of the Year: Joseph Altuzarra, Ashley Olsen & Mary-Kate Olsen, Prabal Gurung

For Menswear Designer of the Year: Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, Robert Geller

For Accessories Designer of the Year: Alejandro Ingelmo, Eddie Borgo, Jason Wu, Pamela Love

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the four-time CFDA Fashion Award winner, will be presented to Marc Jacobs.

The CFDA Board of Directors chose to present their Special Tribute on Arthur Elgort in honor of his impact on photography and fashion.

The Fashion Icon Award will go to Lady Gaga for being a fashion revolutionary impacting style today.

“We look forward to once again honoring the best and brightest talent working today,” Steven Kolb, CFDA executive director said. “Winning a CFDA Fashion Award is the highest and one of the most coveted honors one can receive in our industry.”

Who do you think will win each of these extremely prestigious fashion awards? Who are your picks for the best?

1. Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy

2. Olivier Theyskens of Theory

3. Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler

Though Jack looks super fun as he drunkenly tongues Thakoon (#10)

4. Nicolas Ghesquière of Balenciaga

5. Olivier Rousteing of Balmain

6. Joseph Altuzarra of Altuzarra

7. Thom Brown of Thom Browne/Moncler Gamme Bleu

8. Nicola Formichetti of Mugler

Nicola Formichetti, YEAH! Terry Richardson...not so much

9. Prabal Gurung (of Prabal Gurung)

10. Thakoon Panichgul of Thakoon

Humpable Hall of Fame: Tom Ford

and

Marc Jacobs

Though Jack looks super fun as he drunkenly tongues Thakoon (#10)

Nicole Formichetti, YEAH! Terry Richardson...not so much

Prabal

- With the Met Gala, the Fashion World’s Oscars only a few hours away, what better way to celebrate (especially if your invitation was lost in the mail like mine, I’m assuming, was), then to take a stroll down memory lane of the Costume Institute‘s patron saint, Anna Wintour‘s ball looks over the years. Time had the unmitigated gaul to name Vogue‘s editrix the worst-dressed of the year for her Chanel Couture from 2008′s Superheroes exhibit, but hopefully whoever had the cheek to write that is hanging by his/her nipples in a dungeon in France somewhere. Where they belong. [Fashionologie]

- J. Crew‘s new catalog features employees modeling their clothes, including openly gay designer “Somsack” and his boyfriend “Micah,” that for some reason is deemed “explicit.” Dear “Straight” World, the gays date and wear clothes. That is when we’re not secretly plotting against the moral fiber of America and recruiting your children to our degenerate way of life. Actually, you know what, we can do both since our people are natural multi-taskers. — Love, The Gays [Refinery29]

- New W Fashion and Style Director, Edward Enninful describes his vision for the mag as thus: “I want editorial to be filled with ideas. It’s very important to capture the mood of the collections and bring narrative onto the pages. It’s also very important to be forward-thinking but remain wearable. We should project what’s going to come, take from the past and bring something new, and document what’s around now.” That means practically nothing to me, but I’m hoping it will translate into tons of black models and couture out the wazoo. [Style File]

- Professional jailbird Lindsay Lohan still somehow manages to find work, this time giving face on the cover of Blank, photographed by Steven Gomillion and Dennis Leupold. I’m holding out hope for a jailhouse photoshoot during the four months she’ll be locked up. [DesignScene]

- Cool-kids-about-town and adorable design duo, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler are starting their own costume jewelry line, set to launch during the pre-collection season. I’m assuming this won’t be Claire’s-level bobbles but I wouldn’t mind a PS tribal beaded necklace bunch. [WWD]

“We were still living in our studio, and some big important magazine was coming to see the collection for the first time. We were such messes back then and hadn’t realized the clocks had changed an hour back. It was early morning and we were doing the final lint-rolling still in our pajamas (read: underwear!) thinking we were totally on time, when the elevator door opened and the editor-in-chief of the magazine walked in. There we were, lint-rolling half-naked.”

Jack and Laz, oh the things I would have done to have been your intern on that day. Glad you fine chaps bounded back.

Link Love: StyleCaster

•Bid on a chance to meet Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour and attend a photo shoot for the magazine
•One full week’s stay at the private home of Diane von Furstenberg in the Bahamas
•Ralph Lauren’s Paris – Two Round Trip Business Class Tickets from NYC to Paris, two nights at the Bristol Hotel in a deluxe room, dinner for two at Ralph’s, the quintessential American restaurant in Paris, a 1,000 euro shopping experience at the Ralph Lauren store on St. Germain, and two tickets to visit “The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection,” an exclusive exhibit of Mr. Lauren’s vintage automobiles featured at the Musée des Arts décoratifs.
•Live like a Vanity Fair writer for a day—minus the torture of actually reporting and writing. The winning bidder will take a tour of the Vanity Fair offices, have lunch with one of the editors, sit in on a meeting in Graydon Carter’s office, and then finish off the day with a dinner for four at Mr. Carter’s restaurant, The Monkey Bar.
Night: 2 tickets and backstage passes to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s concert
•Morning, Noon & Night with Tory Burch – Morning: $3,000 shopping spree at Tory Burch with a personal stylist; Noon: Lunch with Tory and the design team;
•Lunch and style consultation with celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, includes a tour of her offices and additional styling tips from her team
•Go behind the scenes with The Hilfigers at the Spring 2012 Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign shoot. Get prepped out in a full Tommy Hilfiger look at the brand’s Fifth Avenue store before having your photograph taken with the Hilfigers.
•A meet and greet with The Row designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen plus an entire wardrobe of Elizabeth and James and The Row Collections
•Two tickets to the Elton John Oscar’s Party
•The opportunity to intern for a day at Elle Magazine along with a personal fashion consultation with Elle Creative Director Joe Zee
•Have a Barbie custom made by Mattel in your likeness, valued at over $10,000
•Courtesy of DKNY, enjoy a “VIP” experience at Yankee Stadium for four guests. Experience includes a private tour of Monument Park followed by watching the Yankees’ batting practice from the field, followed by a meet and greet with Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. Afterwards, watch the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays on July 9th, 2011, from four front row Legends Suite seats
•A lunch and style consultation with TV Personality and Project Runway Judge Tim Gunn
•Two tickets to the Vera Wang Spring Summer 2012 Fashion Show followed by a meet and greet with the designer and a $2000 shopping spree at the Vera Wang flagship store
•The opportunity to personalize a PS1 ‘it’ bag with Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez
•A “Made to Measure Experience” custom suit and fitting from designer Tom Ford.
•Eight tickets to the Metropolitan Opera and dinner with Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy
•Two tickets to a live filming of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” along with private cocktails with host Andy Cohen following the filming
•And many, many more……….

So get bidding on Charity Buzz, and support Japan in the most fashionable way possible (or any way you can).

- Grace Coddington‘s 70th birthday was a who’s who of fashion royalty, with a guest list including Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, Naomi Campbell, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Annie Leibovitz,  Helmut Lang, André Leon Talley, Liya Kebede, Karen Elson, Stefano Pilati, Hamish Bowles, Karlie Kloss, Nicolas Ghesquière, Bruce Weber, Patrick Demarchelier, Vera Wang, Edward Enninful, Riccardo Tisci, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez from Proenza Schouler and Laura and Kate Mulleavy from Rodarte. Twas clearly a magical night, as evidenced by this photo of Anna having what appears to be…a good time:

There but for the Grace of Coddington go I. [Styleite]

- Another image has “leaked” from Beyoncé‘s video shoot — either B has awful security or we’re just the pawns in her little chess game of pop supremacy…either way I couldn’t care less because she’s wearing Alexander McQueen. [Red Carpet Fashion Awards]

- I guess the Choo is on the other foot…. TowerBrook Capital, the company that owns Jimmy Choo – the shoe not the man — invited a shortlist of three investors and Jimmy Choo — the man not the shoe — was not among them. LVMH is a potential buyer for the brand which TowerBrook is expected to sell for about $653 to $817 million, more than twice what it paid for. I guess there won’t be an old Jimmy who lived in his Choo. Too much? [Elle UK]

- The first round of the CFDA’s Fashion & Friends for Japan auction has raised over $180,000 for relief efforts and now round two is up and running. Through charitybuzz.com, you can bid on, among other things: meeting Anna Wintour and attending a Vogue photoshoot, designing a custom PS1 bag with Jack and Lazaro and  a week-long stay at Diane Von Furstenberg‘s summer house. I love when Fashion opens up her big, glittery Chanel purse and dumps out goodwill into the world. [Fashionista]

- Target is apparently offering a Mossimo knock-off of Proenza Schouler‘s PS1 bag and Jack and Lazaro are none too happy about it. Target on the other hand will neither confirm nor deny the allegations but they did say something about being rubber and Proenza being glue. [NYT]

- Noted actress, Tea Leoni…it is 1998, right? Anyway, Tea Leoni will be starring in a new HBO pilot set in the fabulous, fast-paced world of fashion titled Spring/Fall. The show is being written by one of Six Feet Under‘s scribes and produced by the kids who brought you The September Issue, so Tea Leoni might actually have a career again. The 90s really are back! [Deadline]

- The second gal to accuse Dov Charney of…well, being Dov Charney took to the airwaves to speak to Today. My guess, for a company already on the verge of bankruptcy, this isn’t going to help. Just sayin’. [NY Mag]

- Katie Holmes got down with the Real Housewives of New York at a premiere party for her new fashion short film with John Frieda…hey, remember that time Holmes’ Dawson Creek co-star, Michelle Williams, got nominated for an Oscar? Twice? [Daily Front Row]

- View co-host and EGOT-er, Whoopi Goldberg admitted that she was stoned as a Marley on 420 when she accepted her Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 1991 ceremony: ”So I smoked this wonderful joint that was the last of my home grown. When he [presenter Denzel Washington] said my name and I popped up, I thought, ‘Oh fuck… okay, up the stairs… around to the podium… there’s millions of people, pick up the statue, get the statue.’” Oooh, Whoopi’s got that home grown ish? Can a bitch come over and hold your Oscar in a very similar state of mind? [DListed]

Other CFDA nominees include:

Menswear Designer of the Year:

Michael Bastian

Patrik Ervell

Simon Spurr

Accessory Designer of the Year:

Reed Krakoff

Alexander Wang

Proenza Schouler

Swarovski Award (which recognizes up and coming talent; “recipients in each category will receive generous financial support from Swarovski as well as exposure to the company’s vast and innovative Swarovski crystal resources”):

Womenswear –

Joseph Altuzarra

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, The Row

Prabal Gurung

Menswear —

Alexander Wang

Philip Lim

Robert Geller

Accessories —

Eddie Borgo

Jason Wu

Pamela Love

International Award:

Phoebe Philo, Celine

Eugenia Sheppard Media Award:

Hilary Alexander, The Telegraph

Eleanor Lambert Founders Award:

Hal Rubenstein, InStyle

CFDA Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award:

Arthur Elgort (in honor of his impact on fashion and photography)

Who do you think will win in the competitive categories? And this is my first time seeing the actual CFDA trophy, but is it just me or does it look like something recovered from an alien spaceship? And furthermore, the trophy kind of has a little gut. If it insists on being a fashion award, I think it’s time to get on a diet…

Link Love: CFDA

Did you Tweet on your way here?

Yes! Absolutely.

How does it feel to speak in front of the online community in such a formal setting?

It feels great. Its cool to meet all you guys and see the faces behind the online communities.

Does it make you nervous to be speaking in front of all these people plus a live stream of over 15,000 others?

Oh gosh. We don’t think about that part, if you think about that, forget about it.

If you had a blog, what would you post on it?

Pictures of our dogs, (laughs) and stupid things like that.

What can you tell our readers about your upcoming show next week?

You’re gonna have to wait for any surprises.  It will be online so sign on to find out.

Starting at 11:45 a.m. (EST), SHOWstudio is live-streaming its latest “In Fashion” interview, with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler. Is your boss standing behind you? If not, head here to tune in. (The nice part about our job? We’re tuning in because our boss is standing behind us!)

LINK LOVE:Jack And Lazaro, Live Now On SHOWstudio

Last night, The Council of Fashion Designers of America announced the nominations for the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards. The winners will be announced at the annual gala on June 7 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

The Womenswear Designer of the Yearnominees are: Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karen

The Menswear Designer of the Year nominees are: Michael Bastian, Tom Ford, and David Neville & Marcus Wainwright for Rag & Bone.

For Accessory Designer of the Year Award the nominees are: Alexis Bittar, Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler, and Marc Jacobs.

The Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, and Jason Wu

The  Swarovski Award for Menswear: Richard Chai, Patrik Ervell, and Simon Spurr.

For Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Eddie Borgo, Dana Lorenz, and Alexander Wang.

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Michael Kors.

The CFDA Board of Directors chose to honor Alexander McQueen with their Special Tribute Award.

Eugenia Sheppard Award – Kim Hastreiter, Paper Magazine

International Award – Christopher Bailey for Burberry

Fashion Icon Award – Iman

Eleanor Lambert Award – Tonne Goodman, Vogue

Proenza-Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have called this “a tricky collection.”

Via Jezebel

A few stills from a film for Proenza Schouler’s Cruise 2010, to be shown by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez on June 18th in Florence for the Pitti W pre-collection.

SOURCE: Fashionologie

The designers at Proenza Schouler recently landed themselves as the honorary guest curators in the 9th issue of A Magazine. In this issue, the designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough will spill details about what it’s like to collaborate on a label and link it back to American history. A Magazine’s fashionably patriotic issue will be available online at A Magazine starting June 15th! 

Thanks Highsnobette!

In the weirdest news from the Met gala, Kiefer Sutherland apparetnly head-butted Proenza Schouler designer Jack McCollough (above left) so hard he broke his nose at an after-party at SubMercer.  Jack was rushed to the hospital.

From Guest of a Guest: “While guests like Mary-Kate Olsen (who hit up more than one party of course), and Kirsten Dunst looked on, the actor apparently was upset over Brooke Shields.”

LINKAGE: NY MAG via Guest of a Guest