Anna Wintour Now Making CFDA Finalists Do Project Runway Challenges

by Verena von Pfetten | 2:35 pm, October 13th, 2011

If you’re looking for confirmation that Anna Wintour is trying to rebrand Vogue into a more commercially relatable glossy, the Project Runway-inspired party she threw at her townhouse should give you all the evidence you need.

RELATED: Anna Wintour Actually Invited Nicki Minaj To Fashion Week

As part of the lead up to the awards next month, the 10 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists were asked to create “red carpet rebel” looks as part of a L’Oreal sponsored design challenge. They were each able to pick their own muse, and unveiled their looks at the party at Wintour’s townhouse. Cushnie et Ochs put Karlie Kloss in a gold lame cutout dress, Joseph Altuzarra dressed his cousin Lily Kwong in what WWD described as a matching “tropical print T-shirt, skirt and coat”, and Solange Knowles modeled a mixed print ensemble by Suno, among others.

Yes, Michael Kors was there and no, we don’t know who won the challenge. Though as WWD sagely points out, Elettra Wiedemann was the only person in attendance not wearing any sort of designer label (her dress was vintage), which may have made her the most rebellious of them all.

[WWD]