2010 CFDA Fashion Awards Presented In New York

NEW YORK, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) paid tribute to the winners and honorees of the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. The top honors went to Marc Jacobs for Womenswear Designer of the Year, presented by Jessica Biel. The award for Menswear Designer of the Year was presented by Anthony Mackie to Marcus Wainwright & David Neville for Rag & Bone. Alexis Bittar took home the Accessory Designer of the Year Award, presented by Dakota Fanning. For the ninth year in a row, the evening was generously underwritten by Swarovski.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100608/NY17365 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100608/NY17365 )

Alexa Chung and Ed Westwick presented all three Swarovski Awards which honor and recognize emerging talent. The Swarovski Award for Womenswear was given to Jason Wu. The Swarovski Award for Menswear was presented to Richard Chai. The Swarovski Award for Accessory Design went to Alexander Wang. Recipients in each category will receive generous financial support from the company as well as exposure to the company's vast and innovative crystal products and applications for fashion.

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Michael Kors by Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue.

The late Alexander McQueen was honored with the Board of Directors' Special Tribute Award by Sarah Jessica Parker for his indelible contribution to international fashion. A live presentation of his final sixteen looks were shown on models who appeared on a custom-built stage by Tony-Award winning set designer Scott Pask. This presentation was the first time the collection has been seen in its entirety since its original presentation in Paris in March 2010. The set featured the "Schonbek® Olde World Chandelier"; a glass-arm chandelier with the most number of Swarovski crystal pendants in the world due to its special design and patented methods.

Christopher Bailey for Burberry was recognized with this year's International Award presented by Donna Karan. The Eleanor Lambert Award was presented to Vogue Fashion Director Tonne Goodman by Caroline Kennedy. Paper magazine's founding Editor & Publisher Kim Hastreiter was honored with the Eugenia Sheppard Award for excellence in journalism, presented by Brooke Shields. Iman was presented with the Fashion Icon Award by Isabella Rossellini.

As part of the CFDA's commitment to design education, the Geoffrey Beene Design Scholarship winner Carmen Chen Wu, the Liz Claiborne Fashion Scholarship winner Jusil Carroll, and the CFDA/Teen Vogue Scholarship winner Nicole Goh were acknowledged from the stage by CFDA executive director Steven Kolb.

This year also marked the second annual Popular Vote Award sponsored by L'Oreal Paris. Through a website hosted by wwd.com, the public was given the opportunity to vote for its favorite fashion designer. An overwhelming number of votes were cast. L'Oreal Paris Spokesperson and CFDA Health Initiative representative Doutzen Kroes announced the winner of this year's Popular Vote Award to Ralph Lauren.

CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg told the sold-out theater "Tonight is the night we designers and members of the industry salute our peers and celebrate their talents. We are a family." She then went on to speak about the organization's accomplishments over the past year, including raising $1 million for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, launching the CFDA Fashion Incubator, working with the Design Trust on the Garment District, lobbying for copyright protection through the establishment of the Fashion Law Institute, and the continued growth of services for CFDA's 350 members.

In addition to the nominees and honorees, some of the most influential names in American fashion were in attendance including CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg, Albertus Swanepoel, Alexander Wang, Michael Bastian, Joseph Altuzarra, Ashley & Mary-Kate Olsen, Behnaz Sarafpour, Betsey Johnson, Brian Atwood, Carolina Herrera, Catherine Malandrino, Chris Benz, Cynthia Rowley, David Chu, Derek Lam, Deborah Lloyd, Donna Karan, Doo-Ri Chung, Elie Tahari, Francisco Costa, Gilles Mendel, Isabel Toledo, Italo Zucchelli, Jenna Lyons, Jill Stuart, John Bartlett, John Varvatos, Kate & Laura Mulleavy, Kenneth Cole, Max Azria, Narciso Rodriguez, Nicole Miller, Norma Kamali, Patrick Robinson, Peter Som, Philip Crangi, Phillip Lim, Prabal Gurung, Rachel Roy, Rafe Totengco, Rebecca Taylor, Reed Krakoff, Richard Lambertson, Sam Shipley, Sophie Buhai, CFDA's Executive Director Steven Kolb, Stan Herman, Thom Browne, Tory Burch, Tracy Reese, Vera Wang, Yeohlee Teng, Yigal Azrouel, and Zac Posen.

They joined VIP's such as Aerin Lauder, Alexa Chung, Alexis Bledel, Alina Cho, Alison Pill, Anna Wintour, Anthony Mackie, Bernadette Peters, Brooke Shields, Caroline Kennedy, Daisy Lowe, Dakota Fanning, David Bowie, Devon Aoki, Ed Westwick, Emilie de Ravin, Fabiola Beracasa, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hayden Christensen, Iris Apfel, Isabella Rossellini, Jessica Biel, Kate Mara, Liya Kebede, Maggie Grace, Matthew Modine, Mario Testino, Michelle Trachtenberg, Molly Sims, Nadja Swarovski, Paz de la Huerta, Rachel Weisz, Rachel Zoe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Vanessa Traina, Whitney Port, and Zachary Quinto. Models included Carmen Kass, Doutzen Kroes, Dree Hemingway, Irina Lazareanu, Hilary Rhoda, Heidi Mount, Hana Soukupova, Jamie Bochert, Jessica Stam, Joan Smalls, Ling Tan, Lara Stone, Natasa Vojnovic, Sara Ziff, Stella Tennant and Sasha Pivovarova. Many guests arrived in the Jaguar XJ Sedan, which was also featured in the Accessory Designer of the Year Award film.

As guests entered Alice Tully Hall, they were greeted by an assemblage of 45 models staged across the grand outdoor staircase in front of the atrium, with each model wearing a design by the three nominees for the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award.

"The diversity and originality of American fashion is demonstrated by those honored with CFDA Fashion Awards," said CFDA Executive Director Steven Kolb. "The collective work of this celebrated group reflects the depth of accomplishment and enduring influence of American fashion."

"Swarovski is once again honored to have been a part of such an incredible evening," said Nadja Swarovski, Vice President of International Communications, Swarovski. "We send our most sincere congratulations to all the honorees and winners.  In keeping with Swarovski's commitment to foster fashion's brightest emerging stars, we are especially looking forward to working with this year's Swarovski Award winners."

With the announcement of the 2010 Swarovski Award nominees in March, Swarovski approached each designer with an opportunity to create the ultimate Swarovski piece to celebrate the category for which they were nominated.  The designers went to work, utilizing Swarovski's crystals, trims, and beads to evolve their ideas for what is now part of an exclusive compilation entitled: The CFDA Swarovski Award Collection. The collection will be sold with proceeds benefitting the CFDA's educational initiatives. As each designer turned their sketch into a reality, Swarovski and film directors Josh Melnick and Xander Charity documented the process by creating a short film, BRILLIANT, which debuted during last night's ceremony.

KCD produced the event, and the journal and graphics were designed by Trey Laird of Laird + Partners.

Nominees, honorees, and winners were determined by a selection committee comprised of CFDA members, leading fashion journalists, stylists, and top retail executives. Ernst & Young LLP was the official accounting firm of the Awards.

Additionally, the CFDA would like to acknowledge the companies that added to the success of this year's event:

The winners and honorees of the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards:

For high resolution images and all media needs please go to patrickmcmullan.com.

About the CFDA

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) is a not-for-profit trade association whose membership consists of more than 340 of America's foremost fashion, jewelry and accessory designers. CFDA Foundation, Inc. is a separate not-for-profit organization, which was organized to raise funds for charity and industry activities. For more information, visit www.cfda.com.

About Swarovski

In 1895, Daniel Swarovski I, a Bohemian inventor and visionary, moved to the village of Wattens, Tyrol in Austria, with his newly-invented machine for cutting and polishing crystal jewelry stones. From this beginning that revolutionized the fashion world, Swarovski has grown to be the world's leading producer of precision-cut crystal, for fashion, jewelry and more recently lighting, architecture and interiors. Today, the company, still based in Wattens, family-owned and run by 4th and 5th generation family members, has a global reach, with some 24,800 employees, a presence in over 120 countries and a turnover in 2009 of 2.25 billion Euros. Swarovski comprises two major businesses, one producing and selling loose elements to the industry and the other creating design-driven finished products. Swarovski crystal components, known by their product brand names CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements for fashion and STRASS® Swarovski® Crystal for architecture and light, have become an essential ingredient of international design. Since 1965 the company has also catered to the fine jewelry industry with precision-cut genuine and created gemstones, and from April 2008 has strengthened this relationship by revitalizing and renaming the product brand ENLIGHTENED™ – Swarovski Elements. Showing the creativity that lies at the heart of the company, Swarovski's own-brand lines of accessories, jewelry and home decor are sold through more than 1.800 retail outlets in all major fashion capitals. The exclusive Daniel Swarovski accessories collection has meanwhile become the company's couture signature. The Swarovski Crystal Society has close to 350,000 members worldwide, keen collectors of the celebrated crystal figurines. And in Wattens, Swarovski Kristallwelten, the multi-media crystal museum, was opened in 1995, as a celebration of Swarovski's universe of innovation and inspiration. The Swarovski corporation also includes Tyrolit®, manufacturing grinding tools, Swareflex, for road safety reflectors, and Swarovski Optik, producing precision optical instruments.

About Lincoln Center

Beginning this September, Lincoln Center will be the new home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The move to Lincoln Center has allowed IMG Fashion to unveil event upgrades such as modernized production capabilities for designers, digital services concurrent with the advanced needs of the 21st Century, better accessibility for attendees through both public and private transportation, and great resources/facilities on-site and in the surrounding areas.

For the first time, Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park will provide the fashion industry with a centralized location for activities in and around the tents. While the tents will be the hub of activity, Lincoln Center's twenty-two venues will also be available for ancillary consumer and industry events such as exhibitions, presentations and parties. Moreover, plans are well underway to welcome the fashion community year-round through additional special events and innovative partnerships.

Lincoln Center is the world's leading performing arts complex, representing the highest standards of excellence in opera, symphonic and chamber music, theater, dance, film, and arts education.

Over the past few years, Lincoln Center has undergone a $1 billion transformation, resulting in a campus that is not only aesthetically spectacular, but also extremely accessible. Lincoln Center's global visibility, beautiful and multi-functional event spaces, and technological infrastructure will ensure that patrons will have a dynamic (and endless) array of opportunities to engage with the art of fashion throughout the year.

SOURCE Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA)