The CFDA shuffles annual awards timing with return to the American Museum of Natural History

Timing is everything. It indeed held for this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards, presented by Amazon Fashion, which bumped its date by a week due to the 2024 presidential election.

Generally held on the first Monday in November, instead, the event was held on the last Monday in October to avoid possible pitfalls of next week’s timing. The event did provide the same star-studded power from the celebrity world to include notables such as Tony, Emmy, Grammy winner and Academy Award-nominated host Cynthia Erivo, fashion icon award recipient Erykah Badu, Kylie Jenner, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Blake Lively, Tyla, Molly Ringwald, and French singer Yseult, who paired up with fashion forces such as Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne, Wes Gordon, Tommy Hilfiger, Anna Sui, Reed Krakoff, and Zac Posen; plus Donna Karan and Todd Oldham (both presenting Stephen Burrows a lifetime achievement award) in attendance.

The nominees and winners such as second-time winner Willy Chavarria for the American Menswear Designer of the Year award, Rachel Scott of Diotima for the American Womenswear Designer of the Year award, Raul Lopez of Luar for the American Accessory Designer of the Year, and Henry Zankov, awarded the Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the Year award.
CFDA CEO Steven Kolb confirmed the date change during the red carpet arrivals and cocktail hour, explaining the move to FashionNetwork.com.

“The main reason was press; we would have lost the press cycle. They would have buried the story, and it felt appropriate to do it the week before; most people will be home very anxious the night before [the election]. It was deliberate; there was no secret to it,” Kolb said.

Though plenty of folks are ‘spiraling’ around the upcoming election, which is less than a week away, the mood was jovial Monday night.

Stuart Vevers, accepting the Innovation Award presented by Amazon Fashion for Coach for Coachtopia, was at his charming default humble setting.

“It’s meaningful to be recognized for something different at Coach; Coachtopia is a project around sustainability. I really wanted something that feels like the aesthetic is still Coach. What’s exciting is that Coachtopia puts us on the path to circularity, It’s not easy, and we have a long way to go, but I hope this award encourages others to go in this direction,” he said.

The experience equally humbled Diotima founder Rachel Scott. “I have to be honest. I thought it was a mistake at first, but honestly, it’s really humbling at the end of the day; my peers have nominated me and considered me within this group of people,” she said alongside event date Alva Claire, dressed in one of Scott’s designs. Attendees Paloma Elsesser and Sabrina Alba were also in Diotima.

Humbled was also best to describe Henry Zankov of Zankov, who won his award the first time he was nominated. He said he was “just excited to see the other nominees and who wins.”

Another Google Shopping American Emerging Designer Award nominee, Kate Barton, was in tow with date model Winnie Harlow.

“We met through the goldfish bag and became friends; she has supported me ever since,” Barton noted. Both said they had goldfish as kids but admitted the responsibility deterred them. “I don’t trust myself to keep it alive,” Barton said.

Other guests shared tips on dressing for a black tie event, especially for men. Jackson Wiederhoeft—nominee for the Google Shopping American Emerging Designer Award—dressed in his own corset design and shared his take on the novel approach to the garment.

“I think trying to put the evidence out there where anything is possible,” motioning to his guest wearing a tailored jacket slash corset, “It’s about evolving the language of who you are; it’s exciting to see things come to life on people in something they didn’t think could work for them. It’s about trying new things.” 

Todd Snyder, who said coming to the museum at night made him feel like a kid again, shared this advice. “Always over-index into formal, but be yourself. I like a touch of rebel; you have to change it up. You can’t be predictable,” he said of his no-tie look.

Google Shopping American Emerging Designer Award nominee Presley Oldham, wearing a pearl halter top, explained the unique piece was “composed of a lot of pearl necklaces that I make and sell and made into a wearable piece, a bodice for the evening,” he said while on the arm of his event date actress Sydney Lemmon.

John Hardy creative chairman Reed Krakoff, a CFDA Award four-time nominee and three-time winner, sticks with a winning wardrobe strategy. “I have worn the same thing for 25 years, and it’s still what men wear for formal evening attire:  a dark suit, white shirt, and solid dark tie. It hasn’t changed,” he said.

However, Willy Chavarria went full circle in the other direction, opting for himself and his event entourage to be dressed in rich velvet jewel tones.

“I wanted to dress a lot of people in these different colors,” he said, pointing to Omar Apollo in a golden hue and motioning to Juana Burga and Valentina Sampaio in blue and crimson dresses, respectively. “When you bring all of us together, it brings this strong, colorful statement,” he added.

Chavarria also made a statement while accepting his award, addressing the current political anxiety which especially affects the LGBTQ+ community, women and minorities (heightened by the vitriol at a Trump rally Sunday that directly insulted Puerto Ricans, Latinos Jews and more.) U.S. Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand echoed the political thread and urged folks to vote by November 5. If fashion can mobilize for yearly awards, surely, they can also suggest that exercising your civic duty and rights is fashionable.