Sarah Jessica Parker
What is largely known to be the “Oscars of Fashion” amongst lovers of the industry took place on Monday night and of course, not without its art and fabulous clothing. The CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards) Awards painted the town a multitude of colors in New York to celebrate the vision, creativity and overall achievements of men and women in fashion.
Seasoned professionals in the industry such as Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs sat alongside newcomers like Jason Wu, designer of Michelle Obama’s inaugural gown, to celebrate the reflection of fashion’s past, present and future. Lincoln Center lit up with dressed stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Dakota Fanning, Jessica Biel and Ed Westwick to celebrate the night of art.
The winners list, taken from CFDA.com, included Accessory Designer of the year, Alexis Bittar, Menswear Designer of the year, Rag & Bone, and the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Michael Kors by longtime friend and Editor in Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour.
Amongst the glamour and prestige of the evening came a heartfelt tribute to the late Alexander McQueen by Sarah Jessica Parker. According to the Huffington Post, Parker stood in front of the celebrity-studded crowd and stated it was both an “honor and great regret” to pay tribute to McQueen.
Alexander McQueen committed suicide earlier this year but has not been forgotten in the eyes of CFDA and his fans as the tribute showed; his final collection was unveiled to those present. Parker continued to speak on about his creativity and contribution to the fashion industry while wearing a gown from the pre-fall collection by the house’s new designer, Sarah Burton.
The CFDA Awards did not go without recognition of the organization’s accomplishments in the past year. Designer Diane von Furstenberg announced that evening and CFDA’s official website states that $1 million was raised for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. In addition, CFDA has been “lobbying for copyright protection through the establishment of the Fashion Law Institute”.
Throughout these amazing efforts on behalf of the industry, the main focus of the night came flooding back when the fashion police came out. The gray carpet replaced the red carpet for one night so that it would not overpower the art of each piece of clothing worn which was truly the first and foremost star of the evening.
