| Council of Fashion Designers of America | |
| Abbreviation: | CFDA |
| Founder: | Eleanor Lambert |
| Type: | Trade association |
| Status: | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose: | To strengthen the impact of American fashion in the global economy |
| Location: | Manhattan, New York City |
| Fields: | Fashion |
| Membership: | 484[1] |
| Membership Year: | 2019 |
| Leader Title: | Chairman |
| Leader Name: | Thom Browne |
| Leader Title2: | CEO |
| Leader Name2: | Steven Kolb |
| Leader Title3: | President |
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert,[2] and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessory designers. The organization promotes American designers 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 schools. The CFDA also provides funding and business opportunities for working designers. Through the CFDA Foundation, the organization supports charitable causes.
The first president of the CFDA was Sydney Wragge[3] (from 1962 until 1965). Steven Kolb has been the CEO since 2006. As of January 2023, Thom Browne is the group's chairman; he follows Tom Ford, who served as chairman for three years. Additionally, Diane von Furstenberg served as chairman for 13 years from 2006 until2019.[4]
The following people were founding members of the CFDA from 1962:
The CFDA Fashion Awards were founded in 1980 with the first awards given in 1981. They honor and showcase excellence in fashion design.[5] The CFDA Fashion Awards were created by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. They have been called "the Oscars of fashion".[6] [7] Prior to the establishment of the CFDA Awards, the Coty Awards fulfilled a similar role until they ended in 1985, with the final Coty Awards bestowed in September 1984.[8] [9] In 1997, the CFDA Fashion Awards made a decision to open the doors to young and upcoming designers.[10] [11]
Nominations are submitted by the Fashion Guild, a group of over 1,500 CFDA members including fashion editors, retailers, and stylists.[12] Award winners are determined by vote and announced at an annual black tie event held in Manhattan. Award winners receive a trophy made by the New York firm Society Awards.[13]
A number of honorary awards are also presented on the night. As of 2023 these include the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the four-time CFDA Fashion Award winner; the Media Award, given in honor of Eugenia Sheppard, the influential New York Herald Tribune journalist; the Founders Award, given in honor of CFDA founder Eleanor Lambert; The Board of Director’s Tribute Award; the International Award, and the Fashion Icon award, which was first introduced in 2010.
For the 2022 and 2023 editions, Amazon Fashion sponsored the event.[14] [15]
| 1981 | Fernando Sanchez | Jhane Barnes | [16] | ||||
| 1982 | |||||||
| 1983 | Patricia Underwood | ||||||
| 1984 | James Galanos | ||||||
| 1985 | Katharine Hepburn | Donna Karan | |||||
| 1986 | Bill Blass | ||||||
| 1987 | Giorgio Armani | Ronaldus Shamask | Marc Jacobs | ||||
| 1988 | Richard Avedon
| Bill Robinson | |||||
| 1989 | Oscar de la Renta | Isaac Mizrahi | Joseph Abboud | [17] |
| 1990 | Martha Graham | Donna Karan | Joseph Abboud | Christian Francis Roth | ||||
| 1991 | Ralph Lauren | Isaac Mizrahi | Roger Forsythe | Karl Lagerfeld ( ) for Chanel | ||||
| 1992 | ||||||||
| 1993 | ||||||||
| 1994 | ||||||||
| 1995 | ||||||||
| 1996 | Shew York | Donna Karan | Daryl Kerrigan for Daryl K (womenswear) | |||||
| 1997 | Geoffrey Beene | Marc Jacobs | John Bartlett | John Galliano for Dior | ||||
| 1999 | Yves Saint Laurent | Michael Kors | Calvin Klein | Yohji Yamamoto ( ) |
| 2000 | Valentino | Oscar de la Renta | Helmut Lang | Miguel Adrover (womenswear) and John Varvatos (menswear) | Jean-Paul Gaultier ( ) | |||
| 2001 | Calvin Klein | Tom Ford | John Varvatos | Daphne Gutierrez and Nicole Noselli for Bruce (womenswear) and William Reid (menswear) | Nicolas Ghesquiere () for Balenciaga | |||
| 2002 | Karl Lagerfeld | Narciso Rodriguez | Marc Jacobs | Rick Owens | Hedi Slimane () for Dior Homme | |||
| 2003 | Anna Wintour | Narciso Rodriguez | Michael Kors | Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler | Alexander McQueen | |||
| 2004 | Donna Karan | Carolina Herrera | Sean Combs for Sean John | Zac Posen | Miuccia Prada ( ) | |||
| 2005 | Diane von Fürstenberg | Vera Wang | John Varvatos | Derek Lam (womenswear) and Alexandre Plokhov for Cloak (menswear) | Alber Elbaz( ) for Lanvin | |||
| 2006 | Stan Herman | Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein | Thom Browne | Doo-Ri Chung (womenswear) and Jeff Halmos, Josia Lamberto-Egan, Sam Shipley, & John Whitledge for Trovata (menswear) | Olivier Theyskens ( ) for Rochas | |||
| 2007 | Robert Lee Morris | Oscar de la Renta, and Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler | Ralph Lauren | Phillip Lim (womenswear) and David Neville & Marcus Wainwright for Rag & Bone | Pierre Cardin () | |||
| 2008 | Carolina Herrera | Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein | Tom Ford | Kate and Laura Mulleavy Rodarte (womenswear); Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders (menswear); Philip Crangi (accessories) | Dries van Noten () | |||
| 2009 | Anna Sui | Kate & Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte | Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders and Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein Collection | Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler | Alexander Wang (womenswear); Tim Hamilton (menswear); Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry (accessories) | Marc Jacobs ( ) for Louis Vuitton | [18] [19] |
2010 saw the introduction of the honarary Fashion Icon award with model Iman being the first recipient.[20] In 2017, the CFDA introduced a single unified award for Emerging Talent that applies across womenswear, menswear and accessory design. Additionally, the CFDA added the Award for Positive Change, which honors an individual in the U.S. fashion industry who has made a positive impact on American communities and has improved the welfare of others.[21]
For their 15th edition in 2016, and after seven years at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center, the CFDA Fashion Awards moved venue to the Hammerstein Ballroom.[22] In 2018 and 2019, the award ceremonies were held at the Brooklyn Museum.[23]
| 2010 | Michael Kors | Marc Jacobs | Marcus Wainwright and David Neville for Rag & Bone | Alexis Bittar | Jason Wu (womenswear); Richard Chai (menswear); Alexander Wang (accessories) | Christopher Bailey for Burberry | Iman | ||
| 2011 | Marc Jacobs | Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler | Michael Bastian | Alexander Wang | Prabal Gurung (womenswear); Robert Geller (menswear); Eddie Borgo (accessories) | Phoebe Philo for Céline | Lady Gaga | [24] [25] | |
| 2012 | Tommy Hilfiger | Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row | Billy Reid | Reed Krakoff | Joseph Altuzarra (womenswear); Phillip Lim (menswear); Tabitha Simmons (accessories) | Rei Kawakubo () for Comme des Garçons | Johnny Depp | [26] [27] | |
| 2013 | Vera Wang | Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler | Thom Browne | Phillip Lim | Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis for Suno (womenswear); Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School (menswear); Pamela Love (accessories) | Riccardo Tisci () for Givenchy | [28] [29] | ||
| 2014 | Tom Ford | Joseph Altuzarra | Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School | Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row | Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters for Creatures of the Wind (womenswear); Tim Coppens (menswear); Irene Neuwirth (accessories) | Raf Simons () for Dior | Rihanna | [30] [31] [32] [33] | |
| 2015 | Betsey Johnson | Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row | Tom Ford | Tabitha Simmons | Rosie Assoulin (womenswear); Shayne Oliver for Hood by Air (menswear); Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel for Mansur Gavriel (accessories) | Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli () for Valentino | Pharrell Williams | [34] [35] [36] [37] | |
| 2016 | Norma Kamali | Marc Jacobs | Thom Browne | Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel for Mansur Gavriel | Brandon Maxwell (womenswear); Alex Orley, Matthew Orley, and Samantha Orley (menswear); Paul Andrew (accessories) | Alessandro Michele () for Gucci | Beyoncé | [38] [39] [40] [41] | |
| 2017 | Rick Owens | Raf Simons for Calvin Klein | Raf Simons for Calvin Klein | Stuart Vevers for Coach | Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia for Monse | Demna Gvasalia ( ) for Vetements and Balenciaga | Franca Sozzani (posthumous) | [42] [43] | |
| 2018 | Narciso Rodriguez | Raf Simons for Calvin Klein | Supreme | Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row | Sander Lak for Sies Marjan | Donatella Versace () | Naomi Cambell | [44] [45] [46] | |
| 2019 | Bob Mackie | Brandon Maxwell | Rick Owens | Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row | Emily Adams Bode for Bode | Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen | Jennifer Lopez | [47] [48] [49] [50] |
The 19th edition in 2020 saw a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which took place on 14 September.[51] There were no honorary awards bestowed in this year, but the International Award was split into Women's and Men's sub-categories for the first time.
2021 saw the return of a live in-person event, held at The Pool + The Grill in the Seagram Building on Park Avenue.[52] In 2022, the venue for the ceremony was Casa Cipriani in Manhattan. In 2023 it moved once again, this time to the American Museum of Natural History.
| 2020 | Not awarded | Gabriela Hearst | Kerby Jean-Raymond for Pyer Moss | Telfar Clemens | Christopher John Rogers | Pierpaolo Piccioli () for Valentino (womenswear) Kim Jones for Dior (menswear) | Not awarded | [53] [54] [55] | |
| 2021 | Dapper Dan | Christopher John Rogers | Emily Adams Bode Aujla for Bode | Telfar Clemens | Edvin Thompson for Theophilio | Demna () for Balenciaga(womenswear)Grace Wales Bonner (menswear) | Zendaya | [56] | |
| 2022 | Laurie Lynn Stark and Richard Stark of Chrome Hearts | Catherine Holstein for Khaite | Emily Adams Bode Aujla for Bode | Raul Lopez for Luar | Elena Velez | Not awarded | Lenny Kravitz | [57] [58] [59] | |
| 2023 | Maria Cornejo | Catherine Holstein for Khaite | Willy Chavarria | Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row | Diotima | Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson and Loewe | Serena Williams | [60] [61] [62] |
In 2010, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists Monique Péan, Patrik Ervell, and Sophie Theallet teamed up with Gap Inc.[63] In 2012 and 2013 the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners and runners-up each created capsule collections with J. Crew.
In celebration of the organization's 50th Anniversary, Target and Neiman Marcus partnered with 24 CFDA members to create a special holiday collection that was available at both retailers. Additionally, the CFDA has partnered with Kohl's on designer collaborations such as Derek Lam for Kohl's and most recently, Catherine Malandrino for Kohl's.
On October 3, 2013, the CFDA and Google+ launched an innovative shopping tool, titled "Shoppable Hangouts", where users had the ability to shop Hangouts on Air (HOA). The CFDA kicked off the product launch with CFDA President Diane von Fürstenberg. Rachel Zoe, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of rag & bone, and Rebecca Minkoff also participated in the Shoppable Hangout experience.
The CFDA and Vogue Magazine have created an endowment for the stated purpose of funding significant financial awards to one or more designers and provide business mentoring. Awarded recipients are selected by a committee of industry experts. The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Selection Committee annually selects three emerging fashion designers, who receive:
In 2021 and 2022, all 10 finalist designers were granted resources including funds and mentorship. Global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast, Anna Wintour, made a public statement noting that "After an incredibly challenging time for all of us in fashion, especially here in New York, we're thrilled that this year we are able to support all of our finalists."[71] This was to address the challenges the American fashion industry is facing.[72]
2023 Return to Old Format
In 2023, CFDA chose to return to their prior format, awarding 1 winner $300,000 and 2 runners up $100,000 each.[74] However, all 10 finalists are given meaningful business mentorship and support.
The CFDA is a business development program designed to support the next generation of fashion designers in New York City. The program provides a creative professional environment with the mission of helping to grow and sustain the businesses of the 10 participating brands over the course of the two-year program. By offering low-cost design studio space, business mentoring, educational seminars, and networking opportunities, the program provides a way for participants to reach their full potential and become an integral part of the New York Fashion community. In 2010, the program partnered with New York University's Stern School of Business to create a Masters Workshop that pairs their top MBA Students with the designers to work on business development projects.
Successful alumni of the Incubator program include Prabal Gurung and the 2013 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School.
The 4.0 class (2016–2018) of the includes Alexandra Alvarez of Alix, Aurora James of Brother Vellies, Charles Youssef, Daniel DuGoff of Ddugoff, Tim Joo and Dan Joo of Haerfest, Jason Alkire and Julie Alkire of Haus Alkire, Ji Oh, Katie deGuzman and Michael Miller of K/ller Collection, Thaddeus O’Neil, and Molly Yestadt of Yestadt Millinery.[76]
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.[77]
Fashion Targets Breast Cancer® (FTBC), a charitable initiative of the CFDA/CFDA Foundation, seeks to raise public awareness and funds for the breast cancer cause.
The Fashion Targets Breast Cancer name and symbol were created by Ralph Lauren 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, and was formally launched in September 1994 at a special White House reception hosted by then-First Lady Hillary Clinton. 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.[78] This center was chosen as beneficiary at Ralph Lauren's request, in memory of his friend Nina Hyde, the former fashion editor of The Washington Post, who died of breast cancer in 1990.
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.[79] [80]
To date, nearly $50 million has been granted to breast cancer charities worldwide from FTBC campaigns.[81] CFDA Members have designed special FTBC branded or inspired merchandise, which was either sold or auctioned over the course of the campaign.
The CFDA scholarship program was created to award annual merit-based scholarship grants to students who study in a four-year, full-time college level design program. It has awarded $1,399,250 to students.[82] The Geoffrey Beene Design Scholarship Award, the Liz Claiborne Design Scholarship Award, and the CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship Award in partnership with Target selected scholars from one of the CFDA's 20 participating design schools and donated $25,000 towards tuition and educational expenses. The awards are based solely on merit and judged by a panel of industry experts.
Notable CFDA Members include:[83]
The CFDA has published the following books, listed in order by publish date: