CFDA Awards To Honour Industry Shapers

NEW YORK, United States — Last night in New York, nominees and honorees for the 2016 CFDA Awards were announced at the New Museum on the Bowery.

"We had a very animated board meeting," quipped CFDA chairman Diane von Furstenberg in the midst of announcing this year's nominees and honorees, a who's who of American and international fashion. "It was amazing that I survived it."

This year's honorees include designer Norma Kamali, who will receive the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, Donna Karan, who will receive the Founder's Award, and Gucci's Alessandro Michele, who will receive the International Award. The board will also pay tribute to musician David Bowie who died earlier this year.

Also among those being recognised is BoF's very own Imran Amed, who will receive the Media Award given in honour of Eugenia Sheppard, the journalist who the CFDA says "revolutionised fashion reporting during her time at the New York Herald Tribune."

The CFDA also announced that this year’s awards will be held at the Hammerstein Ballroom, moving from Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and turning the event into a full-fledged fashion dinner party.

"When I first started it was a dinner and a show at the New York Public Library, but that stage was really small," said CFDA chief executive Steven Kolb. "We moved to Lincoln Center for the production value and quality, but people missed the social part because it was a straight theatre. Hammerstein works well because we can stage a show but give that intimate feeling of being a great fashion family together."

The CFDA Awards will be held on June 6th in New York City.

The full list of nominees and honorees:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Joseph Altuzarra for Altuzarra; Marc Jacobs; Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler; Kate Mulleavy and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte; Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row

Menswear Designer of the Year Award: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School; Marcus Wainwright and David Neville for Rag & Bone; Tim Coppens; Thom Browne; Todd Snyder

Accessory Designer of the Year Award: Joseph Altuzarra for Altuzarra; Irene Neuwirth;Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel for Mansur Gavriel; Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler; Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row

Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Brandon Maxwell; Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia for Monse; Ryan Roche

Swarovski Award for Menswear: Rio Uribe for Gypsy Sport; John Elliott; Alex Orley, Matthew Orley and Samantha Orley for Orley

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Aurora James for Brother Vellies; Gigi Burris; Paul Andrew

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Norma Kamali

Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard: Imran Amed of The Business of Fashion

Founder's Award: Donna Karan

International Award: Alessandro Michele of Gucci

Board of Director's Tribute: David Bowie