The Tamesis
Veronica Swanson Beard, Steven Kolb, Veronica Miller BeardYvonne Tnt/BFA.com
“It’s payback,” Veronica Miele Beard smiled to Steven Kolb as they greeted a room full of supporters gathered for an intimate dinner. (No, it’s not about anything unpleasant.) The designer, one half of Veronica Beard, was referring to the Creative Futures Fellowship program organized by the brand in partnership with the CFDA. “Thirteen years ago we were finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund – a process we will never forget and we are so grateful to you because it was an experience that really made us grow.”
What started as a one-time event last year — in which four up-and-coming designers won paid summer internships and $50,000 in education — proved so rewarding for both the brand and the three winners that the Veronicas decided to extend the program for another three years. “We had the most incredible time with the team and we learned as much as they did,” said Veronica Swanson Beard. “We ended the summer with the warmest feeling possible and felt like this was something we really wanted to continue.”
The brand has also committed to providing long-term donations to fund future programs and scholarships in support of CFDA’s mission. While acknowledging that support and investment play a big role as the organization celebrates 30 years of its life-changing, career-creating scholarship program, Kolb noted that they also work well together. “You join an incredible group of designers who are always committed to helping young talent. Oscar de la Renta, Geoffrey Beene, Liz Claiborne, Bill Blass, Monica Tilly – a very successful swimwear designer in the 1970s, and Perry Ellis; he’s the one who really drives the scholarship forward. As a non-profit, everything we do depends on the kindness of others, so thank you.”
In a toast to two-way streets, cultivating the next generation of designers, and the upcoming New York Fashion Week, Miele Beard and Swanson Beard have taken over Frevo; the Art Deco, Michelin-starred restaurant tucked behind an art gallery facade on West 8th Street. Iris Apatow and Coco Arquette were among the crowd, wearing chic suits and tops and carrying Dash bags; from every New York girl’s desk to dinner tote. Comedian, actor and podcast host Ego Nwodim also weighed in, bravely pairing her all-white trousers with open-toed shoes despite the weather outside being six degrees cold: “I promise!”
“Thanks also to the Veronicas for finding this place,” Kolb praised. Indeed: the multi-course menu carefully prepared by Franco Sampogna and his team in front of guests is like watching a skilled couturier at work; colorful, imaginative dishes prepared with care.
