At the 2024 CFDA Awards, exciting young designers came out on top

The New York fashion community gathered under the whale at the American Museum of Natural History last night for the second year in a row for the CFDA Awards. It is probably the best dressed crowd that whale has ever seen.

It was also undeniable that there was a tense undercurrent, one occasionally acknowledged by speakers, with the Presidential election just a week away. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand gave the opening remarks, encouraging the crowd to use their talents to get out the vote and "leave it all on the field." This wasn't the sportiest bunch but the message was well-received. Host Cynthia Erivo, wearing a flawlessly sculpted Zac Posen gown with a dramatic hood, then reminded guests that fashion "is like a dream you can live," a statement originally made by Anne Hathaway at last year's ceremony that still rings true.

That sentiment was most evidently felt in the speech given by Schiaparelli's Daniel Roseberry, who received the International Designer Award, and has gone a bit viral this morning. “I was 33, unemployed and sleeping on a tatami mat in my friend's apartment when I was asked to make the proposal for Schiaparelli,” Roseberry began. “And I realized that if I were to get the job I'd be the first American-born designer ever appointed to a French couture Maison. And that was only five years ago.”

He spoke of walking across the Williamsburg Bridge shortly after getting the job—where his boyfriend told him dreams were expensive—and how he often misses the life and the city he left behind. And yet, he has never once questioned that Paris is where he was meant to be, creating a vision that he sees as the antidote to a confused fashion scene obsessed with desirability and popularity. Luxury has become a mass concept but Roseberry's Schiaparelli has risen as a freaky inventive alternative where black velvet gowns could have a massive fake lions head attached at the shoulder.

Ruben Toledo, accepted the Board of Directors Award, for his late wife, the Cuban designer Isabel Toledo. The award was renamed in her honor and Toledo spoke of how he could feel her spirit in the room with everyone. “We always felt that our true purpose is to create heaven on earth for each other; an artist can only float as high and for as long as the audience allows them, I salute you all for inspiring Isabel to soar as high and as gracefully as she did.”

Anna Wintour and Thom Browne came together to create a special "fashion badge of honor" to rival the sword the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris presented photographer Annie Leibovitz earlier this year, along with her Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard. Editor Hamish Bowles received the Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert presented by Marc Jacobs.

Michael Kors was honored with the Positive Change Award for his work with Watch Hunger Stop, God’s Love We Deliver, and United Nations World Food Program. His presenter, Blake Lively, spoke glowingly and off script about his generosity of spirit, noting that he took her under his wing early on in her Gossip Girl days. Coach's Stuart Vevers won the Amazon Innovation Award for Coachtopia, a smaller sub-brand launched in 2023 that promotes sustainable design with its use of leftover leather scraps to construct trendy bags beloved by Gen Z fans. Stephen Burrows, who went from designing for Andy Warhol's Max's Kansas City entourage to becoming the youngest American fashion designer to showcase their work at the Battle of Versailles in 1973 by a decade, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Donna Karan and Todd Oldham. “I won three Coty awards in the ’70s, my first CFDA award in 2007, and now tonight this is my fifth. I am a happy man tonight,” he said.

Erykah Badu received this year's Fashion Icon award. Andre 3000, another style icon and her ex, presented her with the title, carrying, inexplicably, a traffic cone with him to the stage. Badu, wearing custom Thom Browne and a jeweled headpiece by Chrishabana that framed her face, accepted her award with a rambling, charming speech, noting that she'd been "trying to win this award since [she] was six."

There was a general air of excitement in the air with editors feeling that everyone who was supposed to win won, including a new guard of exciting designers that have been reinvigorating New York's fashion scene. Willy Chavarria won American Menswear Designer of the Year for the second year in a row and Luar's Raul Lopez won his second American Accessories Designer of the Year award (he picked up the first in 2022). Zankov's Henry Zankov, won the Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the Year Prize for his fun knitwear. And the American Womenswear Designer of the Year Award went to Diotima's Rachel Scott, who also won last year's Emerging Designer award.

As Browne said during his opening remarks. “American fashion and creativity has never been stronger.” For the first time in a while the awards went to designers who truly felt like they are shaping the way we live through the clothing we wear.

Below, all the winners and their presenters.

Founder’s Award in Honour of Eleanor Lambert: Hamish Bowles presented by Marc Jacobs

American accessory designer of the year: Raul Lopez for Luar presented by Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton

Media Award in Honour of Eugenia Shepard: Annie Leibovitz presented by Anna Wintour

Amazon Innovation Award: Stuart Vevers for Coachtopia presented by Charles Melton and Kelsea Ballerini

American menswear designer of the year: Willy Chavarria presented by Troye Sivan

Positive Change Award: Michael Kors presented by Blake Lively

Google Shopping American emerging designer of the year: Henry Zankov for Zankov presented by Molly Gordon

Isabel Toledo Board of Directors’ Tribute: Isabel Toledo presented by Molly Ringwald to Ruben Toledo

International designer of the year award: Daniel Roseberry for Schiaparelli presented by Amy Griffin

Fashion Icon Award: Erykah Badu presented by Andre 3000

American womenswear designer of the year: Rachel Scott for Diotima presented by Da’Vine Joy Randolph

All images: BFA.com

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