CFDA Fashion Awards
Aurora James for the NYFW Grazia Gazette

The Council of Fashion Designers of America has unveiled the long-awaited list of nominees and honorees for the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards. The event which will take place on Wednesday, November 10 will mark the glorious return to an IRL fundraiser for CFDA’s scholarship program. The 2020 awards were held virtually via CFDA’s Runway360 platform.

“We’re also incredibly pleased to see several talented names among the nominees for the first time. American fashion is experiencing a renewed energy, and the designers play a significant role in the future trajectory of our industry,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA.

A slew of new talent will make their debut at this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards for the Emerging Designer of the Year title. Familiar faces make a comeback, including the Olsen twins, who won Accessories Designer of the Year for The Row (2018), Sander Lak, former designer of Sies Marjan who won the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent (2018), and Virgil Abloh, whose streetwear label Off-White was nominated for both Womenswear and Menswear Designer of the Year in 2018. Aurora James will receive the prestigious Founder’s Award for her work around the 15 Percent Pledge.

Find the entire exciting list of nominees and honorees below. Additional awards will be announced in the coming weeks.

The nominees for American Womenswear Designer of the Year are Catherine Holstein for Khaite, Christopher John Rogers, Gabriela Hearst, Marc Jacobs, and fashion week breakout star Peter Do. 

The American Menswear Designer of the Year nominees are Emily Adams Bode for BODE, Jerry Lorenzo for Fear of God, Mike Amiri for AMIRI, Telfar Clemens for Telfar, and Thom Browne.

 For American Accessories Designer of the Year, the nominees are Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row, Aurora James for Brother Vellies, Gabriela Hearst, Stuart Vevers for Coach, and Telfar Clemens for Telfar.

The American Emerging Designer of the Year nominees are Edvin Thompson for Theophilio, Eli Russell Linnetz for ERL, Jameel Mohammed for KHIRY, Kenneth Nicholson, and Maisie Schloss for Maisie Wilen.

The International Women’s Designer of the Year nominees are Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta, Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons for Prada, Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino, and Simon Porte Jacquemus for Jacquemus.

 The nominees for International Men’s Designer of the Year are Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta, Dries Van Noten, Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner, Rick Owens, and Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton.

The Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert goes to Aurora James for the 15 Percent Pledge.

 The Environmental Sustainability Award will be given to Patagonia.

The Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard will be presented to Nina Garcia.

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Dapper Dan. 

Yeohlee Teng will receive the Board of Directors’ Tribute.