The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by

publicist A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for work or a project such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists wh ...

Eleanor Lambert Eleanor Lambert (August 10, 1903 – October 7, 2003) was an American fashion publicist. She was instrumental in increasing the international prominence of the American fashion industry and in the emergence of New York City as a major fashion c ...

, and

headquarter Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

ed in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, is a

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...

comprising a membership of over 450 American

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

and accessory designers. The organization promotes American designers' participation in the global economy. In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, the organization develops future American design talent through scholarships and resources in high schools, colleges, and

postgraduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

schools. The CFDA also provides funding and business opportunities for working designers. Through the CFDA Foundation, the organization engages in various charitable activities.

History

The first president of the CFDA was

Sydney Wragge Sydney Wragge (1908–1978) was an American fashion designer active during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Working as B.H. Wragge, he was particularly renowned for his American sportswear, with the historian Caroline Rennolds Milbank declaring him the ...

(1962–1965). Steven Kolb has been the CEO since 2006. As of January 2023,

Thom Browne Thom Browne, born Tom Browne (born September 27, 1965) is an American fashion designer. He is the founder and head of design for Thom Browne, a luxury fashion brand based in New York City. Browne debuted his womenswear collection in 2014. In 2023 ...

is the group's chairman; he follows Tom Ford, who served as chairman for three years. Additionally,

Diane von Furstenberg Diane may refer to: People *Diane (given name) Film * ''Diane'' (1929 film), a German silent film * ''Diane'' (1956 film), a historical drama film starring Lana Turner * ''Diane'' (2017 film), a mystery film directed by Michael Mongillo * ''D ...

served as chairman for 13 years from 2006 until 2019. These people founded the CFDA in 1962:

CFDA Fashion Awards

The CFDA Fashion Awards were founded in 1980 with the first awards given in 1981. They honor and showcase excellence in

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

. The CFDA Fashion Awards were created by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. They have been sometimes referred to as "

the Oscars The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

of fashion". Prior to the establishment of the CFDA Awards, the

Coty Award The Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards (awarded 1943–1984) were created in 1942 by the cosmetics and perfume company Coty to promote and celebrate American fashion, and encourage design during the Second World War. In 1985, the Coty Awards we ...

s fulfilled a similar role until they ended in 1985, with the final Coty Awards bestowed in September 1984. In 1997, the CFDA Fashion Awards began including emerging designers. Nominations are submitted by the Fashion Guild, a group of over 1,500 CFDA members including fashion editors, retailers, and stylists. Award winners are determined by vote and announced at an annual black tie event held in

. Award winners receive a trophy made by the New York firm

Society Awards Society Awards is an American company best known for designing and manufacturing high-profile entertainment industry awards, including the Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, GLAAD Media Award, and YouTube Creator Awards, among others. History So ...

. For the 2022 and 2023 editions,

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

Fashion sponsored the event.

1980s

The CFDA Awards have been given out since 1981. The 1981 awards were given out at the first annual CFDA awards ceremony on January 14, 1982 at a dinner in the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

. The winners had been announced two months before the ceremony which was originally scheduled for a television extravaganza in the fall of 1981. CFDA president

Bill Blass William Ralph Blass (June 22, 1922 – June 12, 2002) was an American fashion designer. He was the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). Ear ...

had set off controversy when he announced that all of the nominees will be named winners to avoid televising designers as they lose awards. In response, nominee

Geoffrey Beene Geoffrey Beene (born Samuel Albert Bozeman Jr.; August 30, 1924 – September 28, 2004) was an American fashion designer. Beene was one of New York's most famous fashion designers, recognized for his artistic and technical skills and for creatin ...

rejected the award and said, "The industry needs a major award for its merit, not its emotion." Under the new CFDA president

Perry Ellis Perry Edwin Ellis (March 3, 1940 – May 30, 1986) was an American fashion designer who founded his eponymous sportswear house in the mid-1970s. Ellis' influence on the fashion industry has been called "a huge turning point" because he in ...

, the 1984 CFDA awards in January 1985 had a broadened set of awards that included awards for

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...

billboards, and ''

Details magazine ''Details'' (stylized in all caps) was an American monthly List of men's magazines, men's magazine that was published by Condé Nast, founded in 1982 by Annie Flanders. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, ''Details'' als ...

''. According to

Donna Karan Donna Karan ( ; born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as DK, is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Early life and education Karan was born to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabinow ...

, who headed the awards committee, "We wanted these awards to go beyond designers. It`s all about creativity and the whole scope of fashion." After the Coty Awards were discontinued 1985, the CFDA Awards were seen as the top honors in the fashion industry with the wider variety of awards making the event more interesting and modern.

James Galanos James Galanos (; September 20, 1924 – October 30, 2016) was an American fashion designer and couturier. Galanos is known for designing clothing for America's social elite, including Nancy Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and others. ...

received the first CFDA "Lifetime Achievement Award" in 1984, which the CFDA named after Geoffrey Beene. At the 1984 awards, Bill Blass presented the "

Eugenia Sheppard Eugenia Benbow Sheppard (July 24, 1899 – November 11, 1984) was an American fashion writer and newspaper columnist for some 80 newspapers (including the ''Columbus Dispatch'', ''New York Post'', ''The Boston Post'', and most notably, the ''New ...

fashion award" to Earl Blackwell and said it would be given annually "for outstanding contribution to fashion journalism." However, ''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...

'' later reported that Etta Froio, editor of ''Women's Wear Daily'' and '' W'', won the first "Eugenia Sheppard award" in 1986. The CFDA Awards were staged at the New York Public Library until they moved to the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

for the 1986 awards in January 1987. The CFDA's first "Perry Ellis Award" for new fashion talent was given to David Cameron in 1986, the award was named after the former council president who died that year. Other awards: * 1981: Special awards for Robert Lighton - khaki sportswear; Andrew Fezza - leather for men (or Award for Menswear); and Fernando Sanchez - Excellence in At-Homewear and Lingerie. * 1982 Awards: Outstanding fashion illustrator: Antonia Lopez. Outstanding fashion photographer: Bill Cunningham. * 1984 Awards: Astor Place Hair Designers - influence on contemporary hair design in America; Annie Flanders - fresh approach to fashion journalism as editor and publisher of ''

''; Kitty D`Alessio, president of

Chanel Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...

- "revitalizing Chanel's image in the U.S.;" John Fairchild, chairman of

Fairchild Publications Fairchild Media is a publisher of digital media, journalism, photography and design, events and summits, video and studios, and fashion. Fairchild Media brands include '' Women’s Wear Daily'', '' Footwear News'' (FN), ''Beauty Inc'', ''M'' and ...

- ''

M magazine ''M Magazine'' was a monthly print teen magazine and website. It was published by Bauer Publishing, the United States division of the German firm Bauer Verlagsgruppe. The first issue was released in January 2000. Bauer Media announced in Novem ...

''; Ira Neimark and Dawn Mello - rejuvenating

Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Inc. is an American luxury department store based in New York City, founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf. , it operates a women's store and a men's store across the street from each other on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. ...

/leadership in retailing; Peter Moore -

billboard advertising campaign; Bruce Weber - fashion advertising photography; Robert W. Pittman, executive vice president of

- MTV`s role in modern communications and its influence on fashion/"opening our eyes to a new medium"; and

Diana Vreeland Diana Vreeland (September 29, 1903 – August 22, 1989) was an American fashion columnist and editor. She worked for the fashion magazine ''Harper's Bazaar'' and as editor-in-chief at '' Vogue'', later becoming a special consultant to the Costume ...

, special consultant to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - "unparalleled contribution to the world of fashion as an art." * 1985 Awards:

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...

, producer of the television series ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...

'', for its overall style influence.

Claudio Segovia Claudio Gastón Segovia (born August 31, 1933, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentinian theatre director, producer, choreographer, scenic designer, lighting designer, and costume designer. Born and raised in the Argentine capital, a fellowship ...

and

Héctor Orezzoli Héctor Orezzoli (1953 — December 5, 1991) was an Argentine stage director, costume designer, set designer, and lighting designer. Along with his creative partner Claudio Segovia, he co-created the musical revues ''Flamenco Pure'', '' Tango Ar ...

for bringing ''

Tango Argentino Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as A ...

'' to Broadway. Special tribute and fashion show for designer

Rudi Gernreich Rudolf "Rudi" Gernreich (August 8, 1922 April 21, 1985) was an Austrian people, Austrian-born American fashion designer whose avant-garde clothing designs are generally regarded as the most innovative and dynamic fashion of the 1960s. He purposef ...

who died in 1985. * 1986 Awards: Dalma Callado, model - personifying the spirit of fashion for 1986;

Elsa Klensch Elsa Klensch ( Aeschbacher; 21 February 1930 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian and American journalist, novelist, and television personality, often working in the world of fashion. She was the producer and host of '' Style with Elsa Klensch'' ...

, the style editor of

Cable News Network Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable new ...

- bringing fashion to television; and ''

Elle magazine ''Elle'' (stylized in all caps) is a worldwide magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, and society and lifestyle. The title ''Elle'' means ''She'' in French. ''Elle'' is considered "one of the world's largest ...

''.

1990s

Reportedly the CFDA's first "International Award" was given to

Gianni Versace Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up ...

in 1992 although it was previously reported that

Christian Lacroix Christian Marie Marc Lacroix (; born 16 May 1951) is a French fashion designer. The name may also refer to the company he founded. Lacroix's designs combine luxury and insouciance. He prefers artisanal trades, fringe, bead, and embroidery. He's ...

received the CFDA's first international award in 1986 and that Yves Saint Laurent received a CFDA international award in 1981.

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...

attended the awards in January 1995 to present a special award to her friend Elizabeth Tilberis, the British-born Editor-in-Chief of ''

Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...

. In 1997, for the first time, the CFDA did not release all of the award winners before the awards ceremony. The nominees of the "Perry Ellis Awards" were announced at a press conference in November 1997 but the winners were not named until the February 1998 awards ceremony. In 1999, the date of the event was changed from January to June when the awards were televised for the first time, as the ''18th Annual American Fashion Awards'' on

E! Entertainment Television E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movie ...

, marking the beginning of a five-year partnership with

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

. Other awards: * 1990:

Award for fashion journalism - Genevieve Buck, fashion editor of ''

The Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN radio and WGN tel ...

''. Special awards went to

Emilio Pucci Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (; 20 November 1914 – 29 November 1992) was an Italian Marquess, aristocrat, fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company Pucci designed geometric prints in many colors. Early life Pucci wa ...

for design and color genius, and

Anna Wintour Dame Anna Wintour ( ; born 3 November 1949) is a British-American media executive, who has been serving as editor-in-chief of '' Vogue'' since 1988. Wintour has also served as global chief content officer of Condé Nast since 2020, where she o ...

, editor-in-chief of ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** '' Vogue Adria'', a fashion magazine for former Yugoslav countries ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ' ...

'', for contribution to fashion. Special tribute to Roy Halston Frowick. * 1991: Women of the Arts awards went to actress

Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress, director and model. She is best known for playing Morticia Addams in the ''The Addams Family'' and '' The Addams Family Values'', as well as often portraying eccentric and distincti ...

, opera singer

Jessye Norman Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but did not limit herself to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...

, and dancer/choreographer

Judith Jamison Judith Ann Jamison (; May 10, 1943 – November 9, 2024) was an American dancer and choreographer. She danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1965 to 1980 and was Ailey's muse. She later returned to be the company's artistic di ...

. Eugenia Sheppard Award - Marylou Luther of the

Los Angeles Times Syndicate The ''Los Angeles Times'' Syndicate was a print syndication service that operated from 1949 to 2000. Owned by the Times Mirror Company, it also operated the ''Los Angeles Times'' Syndicate International; together the two divisions sold more than ...

. Special awards went to

Harley Davidson Harley may refer to: People * Harley (given name) * Harley (surname) Places * Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada * Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada * Harley, Shropshire, England * Harley, South Yorkshire, England * Harley Street, i ...

for bringing motorcycle leather jackets and bike accessories into the mainstream of fashion, and

Marvin Traub Marvin Traub (May 14, 1925 – July 11, 2012) was an American businessman and writer. He was a prominent business executive in the retail sector known for his impact on merchandising and marketing. Traub was CEO and President of Bloomingdale's f ...

, former chairman of

Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain founded in 1861 by Joseph Bloomingdale and Lyman Bloomingdale. It was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1930, which purchased the Macy's department store chain in 1994, ...

, for retail innovation. * 1992: Special awards went to

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...

for a Lifetime of Style and her commitment to the children of the world,

Steven Meisel Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in '' Vogue'' and '' Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, '' Sex''. He is ...

for photography, and Patrick O'Connell for the Ribbon Project of

Visual AIDS Visual AIDS is an art organization based in New York City. Started in 1988, it is one of the first initiatives to record the impact of the AIDS pandemic on the artistic community. Art institutions and AIDS-related communities co-developed project ...

. * 1993: Eugenia Sheppard Award - ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' photographer Bill Cunningham; special award for sneakers shared by Converse,

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

Keds Keds is an American brand known for its canvas shoes with rubber soles. Founded in 1916 by U.S. Rubber, its original shoe design was the first mass-marketed canvas-top sneaker. The brand was sold to Stride Rite in 1979, which was acquired by ...

and

Reebok Reebok International Limited ( ) is an American footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had bee ...

; and special award for art direction for

Fabien Baron Fabien Baron (born July 5, 1959) is a French director, art director and magazine editor. He is best known for his iconic ad campaigns and work as editorial director of Andy Warhol's ''Interview'' magazine. Life and career Baron was born on Jul ...

, creative director of ''

''. Salute to CFDA founder

. * 1994: Eugenia Sheppard Award - Patrick McCarthy, executive vice president of

. Special awards went to Elizabeth Tilberis, editor in chief of ''Harper's Bazaar'', for contribution to the fashion industry/editorial achievement; Sara Lee Corp. for "The Year of the

Wonderbra The Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere that gained worldwide prominence in the 1990s. Although the Wonderbra name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1955, the brand was developed in Canada. Moses (Moe) Nadler, founder and maj ...

"; and

Kevyn Aucoin Kevyn James Aucoin (; February 14, 1962 – May 7, 2002) was an American make-up artist, photographer and author. He authored several books with makeup techniques including facial contouring, which was relatively unknown in popular culture at t ...

for "The Artistry of Makeup". Special tribute to

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American writer, book editor, and socialite who served as the first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A popular f ...

for her "lifetime of style and grace and influence on American fashion." * 1995: Lifetime of Style Award -

Lauren Bacall Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924 – August 12, 2014), professionally known as Lauren Bacall ( ), was an American actress. She was named the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, 20th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema by the America ...

; Eugenia Sheppard Award -

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of '' Vogue ...

of ''

International Herald Tribune The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France, for international English-speaking readers. It published under the name ''International Herald Tribune'' starting in 1967, but its ...

''; The

Dom Perignon Dom or DOM may refer to: People and fictional characters * Dom (given name), including fictional characters * Dom (surname) * Dom La Nena (born 1989), stage name of Brazilian-born cellist, singer and songwriter Dominique Pinto * Dom people, an et ...

Award for Humanitarian Leadership -

. Special awards went to

Isaac Mizrahi Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) is an American fashion designer, actor, singer, television presenter and chief designer of the Isaac Mizrahi brand for Xcel Brands. Based in New York City, he is best known for his eponymous fashion lines. M ...

and Douglas Keeve for the film '' Unzipped'', for bringing the fashion world into the theater; and Robert Isabell for floral design. * 1996: Dom Perignon award for Humanitarian Leadership - Kenneth Cole; Eugenia Sheppard award - ''New York Times'' fashion critic

Amy Spindler Amy M. Spindler (1963 in Michigan City, Indiana – 27 February 2004 in New York City) was an American journalist who had been style editor of ''The New York Times Magazine''. Spindler began at the ''Times'' as a columnist on the Style desk in 1 ...

; and special award for "furthering fashion as art and culture" - Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's curator Richard Martin and associate curator

Harold Koda Harold Koda (born January 3, 1950, in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American fashion scholar, curator, and the former curator-in-chief of the Anna Wintour Costume Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Career While at the costume institute, Koda cura ...

. * 1997: Lifetime of Glamour Award -

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...

; Dom Perignon Award for Humanitarian Leadership - Ralph Lauren; Stiletto Award - Manolo Blahnik; Global Influence on Fashion - Anna Wintour; and Lifetime Tribute Award (or Lifetime Recognition Award) - John Fairchild, retired chairman and editorial director of Fairchild Publications. Special tributes for Princess Diana and Gianni Versace. * 1999: Lifetime of Glamour Award -

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress, active in her native country and the United States. With a career spanning over 70 years, she is one of the ...

; Influence on Fashion Award -

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

; Humanitarian Award (posthumous) -

Liz Tilberis Elizabeth Jane Tilberis (née Kelly; 7 September 1947 – 21 April 1999) was a British fashion magazine editor of Manx and English ancestry. Tilberis was born in Shirehampton, Bristol in 1947 and attended Malvern Girls College. She then w ...

; Eugenia Sheppard Award -

of ''

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

''; Timeless Talent Award -

Betsey Johnson Betsey Johnson (born August 10, 1942) is an American fashion designer best known for her colorful, cute and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished. She also is known for doing a cartwheel ending ...

; Window on Fashion Award -

Simon Doonan Simon Doonan (born 1952
Simon Doonan, ''< ...

; and award "for putting the spotlight on Hollywood and fashion" - ''

InStyle ''InStyle'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith, and started originally as a brand extension of ''People (magazine), People'' before carving out its own ide ...

'' magazine.

2000s

The CFDA's first "Fashion Icon Award" was given to American socialite

C.Z. Guest Lucy Douglas "C.Z." Guest (née Cochrane; February 19, 1920 – November 8, 2003) was an American actress, author, columnist, horsewoman, fashion designer, and socialite who achieved a degree of fame as a fashion icon. She was frequently se ...

in 2002. The award was given to

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

in 2003 and to

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...

in 2004. The CFDA decided to forgo the award in 2005, and instead gave the "Award for Fashion Influence" to

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is an English model. Arriving towards the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her t ...

. In 2002, the CFDA Fashion Awards also began a 17-year partnership with

Swarovski Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Tyrol. It was founded in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal Business, which primarily produces crystal glas ...

that ended in 2019. In 2003, the awards for new designer talent, formerly known as the "

Awards", were renamed "Swarovski's Perry Ellis Awards" and included a monetary prize for the first time to reflect the sponsorship.

2010s

2020s

2021 Zendaya won fashion icon award 2022 Lenny Kravitz won fashion icon award 2024 Erykah Badu won fashion icon award

Programs

CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund

2010s Finalists and Winners

* 2014: Paul Andrew (Winner),

Wes Gordon Wes Gordon (born 1988) is an American fashion designer. Early life and education Born in Chicago, Illinois, Gordon was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended the Lovett School in Atlanta and graduated in 2005. He graduated from Central St. Ma ...

, Edie Parker and Simon Miller * 2015:

Becca McCharen-Tran Chromat is an American fashion label based in New York City. The label was formed by Becca McCharen-Tran in 2010. Drawing from Becca McCharen-Tran's background in architecture and urban design, Chromat focuses on empowering garments for all bo ...

Chromat Chromat is an American fashion label based in New York City. The label was formed by Becca McCharen-Tran in 2010. Drawing from Becca McCharen-Tran's background in architecture and urban design, Chromat focuses on empowering garments for all b ...

; Rio Uribe of

Gypsy Sport Gypsy Sport is an American fashion brand. The company is based in New York City and was founded in 2012 by its creative director Rio Uribe. History Uribe grew up in Koreatown, Los Angeles. After working for Balenciaga, rising to head of merchand ...

(Winner) * 2017:

(Runner Up),

Telfar Clemens Telfar Clemens (born 1985) is a Liberian-American fashion designer and the founder of the fashion label Telfar. Clemens won the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and won the CFDA Fashion Award for American Accessories Designer of the Year in 2020 ...

(Winner) * 2018: Kerby Jean-Raymond (Winner) * 2019: Abdul Abasi and Greg Rosborough of Abasi Rosborough; Alejandra Alonso Rojas; Victor Barragan of Barragán; Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, Danielle Hirsch of Danielle Frankel; Raffaella Hanley of Lou Dallas; Siying Qu and Haoran Li of Private Policy; Reese Cooper; Natalie Ratabesi of Tre by Natalie Ratabesi; and Christopher John Rogers (Winner) 2023 Return to Old Format * 2023: Kim Shui; Kozaburo Akasaka of Kozaburo; Melitta Baumeister (Winner); Sami Miro of Sami Miro Vintage; Fletcher Kasell and Tanner Richie of Tanner Fletcher; Everard Best and Téla D'Amore of Who Decides War; and Henry Zankov of Zankov (Runner Up).

Tiffany & Co. x CFDA Jewelry Designer Award

Established in 2024, the CFDA partners with Tiffany & Co. for the stated purpose of recognizing and uplifting outstanding American jewelry designers who are committed to driving inclusivity with the design industry. Awarded recipients are selected by a committee of industry experts. 2020s Finalists * 2024: Angie Marei, David Perry, Ian Delucca, Jameel Mohammed, Hi Vu, Maggi Simpkins, Malyia McNaughton, Marvin Linares, Pamela Zamore, Symoné Currie

CFDA program

The 4.0 class (2016–2018) of the includes Alexandra Alvarez of Alix,

Aurora James Aurora James is a Canadian creative director, activist, and fashion designer. In 2013, she founded the fashion label Brother Vellies, with the goal of promoting traditional African design practices and techniques. In 2020, James founded the 15 Pe ...

of Brother Vellies, Charles Youssef, Daniel DuGoff of Ddugoff, Tim Joo and Dan Joo of Haerfest, Jason Alkire and Julie Alkire of

Haus Alkire Haus Alkire is an American fashion label headed by design partners Julie Alkire and Jason Alkire. Both the Alkires are members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Established in 2012, the line is made in New York City. Founde ...

, Ji Oh, Katie deGuzman and Michael Miller of K/ller Collection, Thaddeus O'Neil, and Molly Yestadt of Yestadt Millinery.

Fashion Manufacturing Initiative

The Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) is an investment fund to help revitalize New York City's garment industry. The program offers matching financial grants to New York City's fashion manufacturing production facilities. In March 2018, the CFDA and NYCA announced that the following seven production facilities would receive a combined total of $480,000 in the fifth round of FMI grants: Atelier Amelia, Sunrise Studio, In Style USA, Mudo Fashion, New York Embroidery Studio, Season Wash, and Werkstatt.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer® (FTBC), a charitable initiative of the CFDA/CFDA Foundation, seeks to raise public awareness and funds for the

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

cause. The Fashion Targets Breast Cancer name and symbol were created by

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren (brand), Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He stepped do ...

and subsequently entrusted to the CFDA Foundation. FTBC was first presented in the U.S. in the spring of 1994 during

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...

, and was formally launched in September 1994 at a special White House reception hosted by then-First Lady

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

. During this initial campaign, 400,000 FTBC shirts were sold, raising $2 million to benefit the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Health at the Lombardi Cancer Center at

Georgetown University Medical Center Georgetown University Medical Center is a Washington, D.C.–based biomedical research and educational organization affiliated with Georgetown University that is responsible for over 80% of the university's sponsored research funding and is led ...

. Since 2011, the council has led an annual campaign to promote the initiative and partners with well known fashion icons. In 2017, Fabletics partnered with Fashion Targets Breast Cancer to produce an activewear collection. A portion of all sales for the collection would be donated to target breast cancer screening and treatment.

Publications

The CFDA has published the following books, listed in order by publish date: * ''American Fashion Home'' * ''American Travel'' * * * * * * * * * * *

References

External links

* {{Coord, 40.726267, -73.995138, display=title Arts organizations established in 1962 Fashion awards Fashion organizations Lifetime achievement awards