After quite a bit of speculation, the winner of this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund has been announced. And it's none other than Brooklyn-based designer Sophie Theallet. She follows in the footsteps of last year's winner, Alexander Wang, and will walk away with $200,000 and a year's worth of mentoring. Although Theallet has been involved in the industry for a number of seasons, her big break was no doubt First Lady Michelle Obama donning a number of her dresses during post-election press ops.

"Meanwhile runners-up [Patrik] Ervell and [Monique] Pean each received $50,000 and a business mentor at the Skylight Studios gala," says Women's Wear Daily. The win will definitely come across as a surprise to those whose money (like mine) were on the likes of Ohne Titel, a relatively young brand but one that's garnered quite a lot of press in the recent two seasons. Yet again, we're reminded of Vogue and the CFDA's interest in courting Michelle Obama, or perhaps just the fact that the latter's sartorial finger is definitely on the fashion industry's pulse.