The people have spoken, so it shall be. Or, rather, the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild has spoken. Yes, you heard right: last night, within the grand walls of the American Museum of Natural History, some of America’s finest designers were crowned, each claiming their place in the kingdom of fashion. So, you may finally sit back, for we’re here to unveil the new rulers of the American fashion realm and recount one of the most anticipated nights in the industry’s calendar.
Hosted by Keke Palmer, the evening saw the country’s most renowned designers arrive hand in hand with their beautiful muses, each worthy of their own fairytale. Among them was Anthony Vaccarello, who arrived with his golden fairies, including Hailey Bieber, Rosé and Zoë Kravitz. So, who were the voices entrusted with announcing this year’s winners? The likes of Anna Wintour, Matt Damon and Naomi Osaka took to the stage to reveal the evening’s lucky recipients. Before we unveil the faces behind the prizes, let us remind you of the titles up for grabs: American Womenswear Designer of the Year, American Menswear Designer of the Year, American Accessory Designer of the Year, and Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the Year.
As for the American Menswear Designer of the Year, announced by none other than Matt Damon and Tremaine Emory, the award went to the one and only Ralph Lauren, who, as you may recall, also took home the Womenswear title last year. But, as every fairytale knows, there can be no king without a queen. And what would a Menswear Designer be without his Womenswear counterpart? It was time for one of the evening’s most anticipated categories. Among the nominees stood some of the fashion world’s finest: Tory Burch, Wes Gordon, Rachel Scott, Michael Kors and Catherine Holstein. The competition was fierce, but in the end, the award found its way to Rachel Scott, recognised for her magnificent work at Diotima.
Moving on to the accessories field, the nominees were no less impressive. The Olsen sisters, Stuart Vevers for Coach and Sophie Buhai were all in the running, but it was Ana Khouri who ultimately claimed the trophy. And honestly, with jewellery that consistently leaves all of us at a loss for words, could we have expected anything less? Last but certainly not least, the final category went to Colleen Allen, who took home the Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the Year award, marking yet another chapter in the story of American fashion’s next generation.
But surely, you wouldn’t expect a night in the city that never sleeps to come to an end so soon, would you? Before the final curtain fell, the evening had one more cherished chapter in store for us: the special honorees, whose names had already been revealed ahead of the ceremony. Among them was Peter Marino, who received the Fashion Icon Award, and Anthony Vaccarello, honoured as International Designer of the Year following a decade of work at Saint Laurent. And don’t think Tory Burch went home empty-handed either; Anna Wintour took to the stage to present her with the Positive Change Award.
And so, as the final chapter of this fashionable fairytale came to a close, another unforgettable night in American fashion history was written. And just like that, the crowns have been handed out, the verdict is in, and we have yet another set of names to talk about. Until next year, fashion royalty.
