They’re All Playing the Game

THE fashion trade, when you get down to it, is just an endless competition. New designers compete to break through. Older designers compete to stay on top. Models compete to walk the best runways. Party reporters compete to gather the most trivia.

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So it was on Tuesday night in West Chelsea, where a wondrous display of fashion players populated a large gallery space for the annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund dinner, which is itself the culmination of a competition for emerging designers trying to win the industry’s support.

Moving through the crowd, one could learn all sorts of little things: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the Proenza Schouler designers, are thinking of moving to Fort Greene in Brooklyn. Chanel Iman is recently single. Devi Kroell has dyed her hair a color she called “rose gold.” Victoria Bartlett is suing her plumber. Alexa Chung is secretly a great rapper, fluent in early-century Nelly.

“I’m just here for the chicken potpie,” joked Christina Ricci, wearing a midriff-baring dress by Richard Chai and referring to the evening’s traditional menu, selected by Anna Wintour for its one-plate efficiency. That, and comfort food helps on a night that, while fabulous for most guests, is full of anxiety for the designers who were competing for the prize.

Does it ever get easier? Even at the grown-up tables, the designers were stressed. Tory Burch was a trooper when faced with dinner conversation that kept returning to the he-sued-she-sued legal battle with her former husband, Chris Burch, over their respective retail brands.

“We don’t want to read any more about Tory and Chris,” Tommy Hilfiger said.

“Thank you, Tommy,” Ms. Burch said. “I don’t want to read any more about it, either.”

Christopher Bailey, the Burberry designer, who gave a keynote address and was introduced by Chelsea Clinton, tried to calm everyone a bit, relaying his own experiences in an industry that can be brilliant, he said, “but also ridiculous.” He described his early days, and many long nights, working for Donna Karan, when a masseur would come around the office at 3 a.m., then “at 4 a.m., we’d all sit in a little circle and chat over fabrics, and then at 5 a.m., Demi Moore would come in for a fitting,” he said. “That was weird.”

Finally, Emma Stone, dressed in a Burberry peplum top and skirt, which she had covered for most of the evening with a blue coat, presented the awards. The runners-up were Jennifer Meyer Maguire, the jewelry designer married to the actor Tobey Maguire, and Tabitha Simmons, the footwear designer and Vogue contributor married to the photographer Craig McDean. The big winner was Greg Chait, the designer of the pricey cashmere line Elder Statesman, who is engaged to the actress Laura Ramsey. (Trivia!)

The awards come with cash, $300,000 for Mr. Chait and $100,000 each for the runners-up. But the real draw for the designers is the promise of mentorship and a leg up in the bigger competition — which, of course, is just business.