The surprise of the evening came with the announcement of a 20th Anniversary Mentorship Award Presented by Gap Inc, which was presented to Grace Ling, who launched her brand only four years ago and has already dressed Jennifer Lopez… two times. She will benefit from a year-long mentorship from Zac Posen, who will also judge the selection committee next year.

The winners were announced during a dinner at the famous Monkey Bar restaurant in Manhattan. among a star-studded crowd that included designers, past CVFF winners and finalists, and it must be said, David Beckham, accompanying his wife Victoria Beckham, who had been invited this year to the Forces of Fashion, which took place more early in the day, alongside Simon Porte Jacquemus and Jean Paul Gaultier

This year’s CVFF class finalists also included Sébastien Ami de Sébastien and Marianne Amisial, Kate Barton, Connor McKnight, Presley Oldham, 5000 de Taylor Thompson and Jane Wade. They were chosen by a jury led by Steven Kolb and Anna Wintour, with Instagram’s Eva Chen, vice president and fashion director at Nordstrom Rickie de Sole, senior vice president and fashion director at Saks Roopal Patel, creative director of Brother Vellies and founder of Fifteen Percent Pledge Aurora. James, model Paloma Elsesser, as well as Vogue’s Mark Holgate and Nicole Phelps. The Fund was created in the wake of 9/11 to help cultivate the next generation of American fashion talent, and has since welcomed 189 designers into its program.