NEW YORK (CFDA press release) - Monday night, the Council of Fashion Designers of
America (CFDA) announced the winners and lauded the special honorees at the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards. Carolina Herrera was named Womenswear Designer of the Year, Sean Combs for Sean John was named Menswear Designer of the Year, and Reed Krakoff for Coach was named Accessory Designer of the Year. Zac Posen won Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Ready to Wear, while Eugenia Kim won the Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Accessory Design.
Sarah Jessica Parker received the Fashion Icon Award; designer Donna Karan was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Miuccia Prada received the International Award; the Wall Street Journal's Teri Agins received the Eugenia Sheppard Award; iconic photographer Irving Penn was honored with the Eleanor Lambert Award; and fashion designer Tom Ford was given the Board of Directors' Special Tribute.
To kick-off the Awards program, American Idol Fantasia Barrino sang "New York State of Mind." This year's Awards saluted America's fashion capital, New York City.
Also in attendance were luminaries from the fashion and entertainment worlds, including Beyonce, Selma Blair, Jay-Z, Natalie Portman, Eve, Susan Sarandon, Mandy Moore, Jill Hennessy, Kristin Davis, Russell Simmons, Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Sean Combs, Karolina Kurkova, Alek Wek, Carolyn Murphy, Michelle Hicks, Heidi Klum, Seal, Natalia Vodianova, Liya Kebede and more than 100 members of the CFDA.
"This year's CFDA Fashion Awards are a testament to the artistry and vitality of the city of New York and the entire American fashion industry," said Peter Arnold, Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The Awards, which annually honor fashion's most eminent and established designers, journalists, and creative visionaries for their originality and leadership in American fashion, took place during an intimate event at The New York Public Library. The evening was co-chaired by three prominent CFDA members: Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, and Narciso Rodriguez.
The star-studded evening is underwritten by Swarovski, the internationally renowned purveyor of cut crystal. The event's producer KCD incorporated Swarovski crystals into a dramatic crystal beaded curtain in Astor Hall, site of the evening's cocktail reception.
The artist Harry Allen was commissioned to create a Swarovksi crystal "light sculpture" as a focal point in the Gottesman Exhibition Hall, where guests dined on a menu created by Le Bernardin chef Eric Ripert. After dinner, guests were escorted to the Library's Celeste Bartos Forum for champagne, dessert and the Awards ceremony. The Celeste Bartos Forum was transformed into a modern-day "supper club" with the Ben Waltzer Quartet playing jazz throughout the Awards presentation.
The winners and honorees of the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards are:
Womenswear Designer of the Year: Carolina Herrera
Menswear Designer of the Year: Sean Combs (for Sean John)
Accessory Designer of the Year: Reed Krakoff (for Coach)
Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Ready to Wear: Zac Posen
Swarovksi's Perry Ellis Award for Accessory Design: Eugenia Kim
Fashion Icon Award: Sarah Jessica Parker (for her personal and professional commitment to fashion, and for her quintessentially New York style).
Lifetime Achievement Award: Donna Karan (for her 20 years of consistent creative influence and dedication to fashion).
International Award: Miuccia Prada (for her distinct vision and the impact of her recent collections on international style).
Eugenia Sheppard Award for Fashion Journalism: Teri Agins, Wall Street Journal (for her 14 years of excellence in covering the business of fashion and retailing).
Eleanor Lambert Award: Irving Penn, Photographer (for his unique contribution to the artistry of fashion photography).
Board of Directors' Special Tribute: Tom Ford (for the indelible mark he has made as an American on international fashion).
Nominees, honorees, and winners were determined by a selection committee comprised of CFDA members, leading fashion journalists, and top retail executives. Founded in 1962, the CFDA, a non-profit trade association, counts over 250 of America's leading designers among its membership.
