Fashion, Music and Hollywood Elite for CFDA Awards

The CFDA awards used to be about hardcore fashion industry insiders celebrating their achievements.  Last night's awards though, brought out the top names in music (Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Estelle), Hollywood (Jessica Alba, Olsen Twins, Kirsten Dunst) and journalishm (Andersen Cooper).  Designers, merchants, retailers still ruled the carpet and took home the trophies.

Designer of the year for womenswear was awarded to Proenza Schouler's  Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.  For menswear, Michael Bastian took home the designer honors.  Alexander Wang won the award for Accessories Designer of the Year.

While it seems that the fashion crowd has been aware of Prabal Gurung's achievements for quite some time, he won the Swarovski award for emerging talent.  The forever-hot Marc Jacobs won the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award, (even though he has yet to hit middle age). 


A turquoise-wigged, Thierry Mugler wearing Lady Gaga own the (least surprising, yet highly deserved)  Fashion Icon award.  
photos by  Larry Busacca

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CFDA Fashion Awards 2010 - Emerging Talent Sparkles

Lincoln Center was the scene of fashion's most accomplished Monday evening. The CFDA awards honored the best of designers in a celebrity-packed red carpet event. Guests to the show were presented with a line of models representing all of the design nominees as they entered the auditorium.

Most moving was a special tribute to Alexander McQueen presented by Sarah Jessica Parker.

The lifetime achievement award was presented to Michael Kors by Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Womenswear Designer of the Year went to Marc Jacobs. Top honors in Menswear went to Rag & Bone. Alexis Bittar took home Accessory Designer of the Year



Swarovski sponsored the awards for emerging talent. Alexa Chung and Gossip Guy Ed Westwick presented awards to Jason Wu for womenswear, Richard Chai for menswear and Alexander Wang for accessories. Emerging talent winners also get financial support for Swarovski as well as access to their crystal libraries.

For those still studying their way into fashion, Monday night also presented scholarships. Carmen Chen Wu was the recipient of the Geoffrey Beene Design Scholarship. The Liz Claiborne Fashion Award went to Jusil Carroll and the CFDA/Vogue scholarship was awarded to Nicole Goh. For a complete list of winners, click through to cfda.com



Photos by Getty Images, fabsugar and Associated Press

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CFDA Announces Nominees

Last week held a lot of news for the Council of Fashion Designers of America. First, Diane Von Furstenburg was elected president for a third time (a first for the organization). Second, the designer held a soiree at her studio to announce the nominees for the CFDA awards.

Prabal Garung, Joseph Altuzarra and Michelle Obama favorite, Jason Wu were nominated for the Swarovski Award for emerging talent in Womenswear. Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Alexander Wang are competing against each other for Designer of the Year. For accessory design, nominees include Alexis Bittar, Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler, and Marc Jacobs.

Project Runway’s staple, Michael Kors will be receiving the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award. The awards will take place at Lincoln Center June 7 in NYC.

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