Ann Taylor, CFDA/Vogue fashion fund designers partner on size zero looks being auctioned on eBay

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Ann Taylor, the great American mall-based retailer in the midst of a fashionable turnaround, has partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund on a design challenge.

Ten finalists for the 2010 award for emerging designers (including Prabal Gurung, Joseph Altuzarra, Christian Cota, L.A.’s own Gregory Parkinson and Billy Reid, winner of the $300,000 award) have made one-of-a-kind looks now being auctioned on eBay.

The designers were asked by Ann Taylor’s head of design Lisa Axelson to create ‘a look for a modern, professional woman,’ and the results include trench coats, shirt dresses, statement accessories and more.

The only catch? That modern, professional woman must be a size zero.

Which doesn’t sound like much of a design challenge to me. A bigger challenge would have been to create a look for a modern, professional woman who is a size 8 or 10 or 12 or 14. Guess they worried that the photos wouldn’t look pretty. And from the photo at left, you can see the stylist had to clip model Karlie Kloss’ size zero Prabal Gurung dress to make it even more form-fitting.

For those who are not sample size, there are accessories on offer, including a pair of Moss Lipow sunglasses, which have the lowest starting bid of anything in the lot--$450.

The auction runs through Feb. 10 and all money raised will go to support the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

--Booth Moore

Model Karlie Kloss wearing the Ann Taylor-inspired look by Prabal Gurung, with the designer. Courtesy of Ann Taylor.