With An Afternoon of Shopping, Friends of the CFDA and Vogue100 Celebrated Nordstrom’s Secure the SPACE Challenge

High above the penthouse floor of Central Park Tower, where sprawling 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park greenery made for a breathtaking backdrop, Friends of the CFDA, Vogue100, and Nordstrom came together for an afternoon of shopping and cocktails hosted by Jordan Roth, Rickie De Sole, and Vogue’s Alexandra Michler Kopelman and Naomi Elizée celebrating the second annual CVFF Nordstrom Secure the SPACE Challenge.

The Secure the SPACE Challenge is a collaborative initiative aimed at supporting young and emerging designers in America. Ten finalists pitched and presented their collections to a selection committee, including Nordstrom fashion director Rickie De Sole and men’s fashion director Jian DeLeon, with the final winner being awarded the opportunity to have their pieces carried online and at select Nordstrom stores. “We re looking for originality,” says De Sole, dressed in a Diotima blazer with a matching crochet skirt. “We re looking for brands that we really feel our customers are going to respond to and feel unexpected. Perhaps a designer that hasn t had as much exposure, that way we re sort of giving them a platform through Nordstrom to connect with more customers in a broader reach around America.”

While trays of champagne and models (sporting pieces from all ten designers participating in the Secure the SPACE Challenge) made their rounds around the grand foyer, racks of clothing and bespoke jewelry sat on ornate tables for guests and designers to admire.

At 3:45 sharp, De Sole announced the winner of this year’s Secure the SPACE Challenge, which was awarded to Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L’Enchanteur. The twin designers, seemingly still in awe of their big win as they were in the middle of closing a sale, felt as though they were on top of the world (as they quite physically were, standing on the 129th floor of the city’s tallest building). With this win, L’Enchanteur will be picked up by Nordstrom for an upcoming season and will even be available at select Nordstrom stores.

“It s like being born again. It s a whole new realm,” says Dynasty Ogun. “We re always inspired by our parents. We re from New York by way of Flatbush, and also by way of Nigeria and Dominica, where our parents are from. So much of our work is about growing up and having access to different realms of community. After our mom passed, we came full circle.”

New York designers occupy a special place in the sartorial landscape, with each creative celebrating a unique connection to the city’s never-ending well of inspiration. “Being based in New York, I think it’s really important to have real New York brands and designers who’ve come up from the city and really represent it,” DeLeon, clad in head-to-toe Thom Browne, tells Vogue. “Our criteria are just really about empowering the CFDA and the Vogue Fashion Fund and their ability to curate a unique class of talented designers season after season.”