CFDA Announces 2020 Fashion Awards Nominees
Despite the organization’s statement on racism in fashion, nominees are overwhelmingly white.
The CFDA has announced the nominees for its prestigious Fashion Awards, originally scheduled to take place June 8 but postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The American trade association has nominated talent across six categories: womenswear, menswear, accessories, emerging designers, global women’s designers and global men’s designers.
Winners will be announced in September on the CFDA’s website and social media accounts. CFDA President and CEO Steven Kolb explained that, in lieu of the annual, in-person awards ceremony, the organization will continue supporting designers by “redirecting efforts towards next generation scholarships and making important changes to bring racial equity to the fashion industry.” Despite Kolb’s reference to racial equality — and the CFDA’s prior statement on racism in fashion — this year’s nominees are overwhelmingly white.
Up for Womenswear Designer of the Year are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of The Row, Brandon Maxwell, Gabriela Hearst, Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford, who also serves as chairman for the CFDA. Nominees for Accessories Designer of Year are, again, the Olsen twins of The Row and Gabriela Hearst, as well as Stuart Vevers of Coach, jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher and Telfar Clemens, whose logo purses have been dubbed the “Bushwick Birkin.”
Emerging Designer of the Year features a bit more diversity in its nominee lineup: Christopher John Rogers, Kenneth Nicholson, Peter Do, Reese Cooper and Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto of STAUD are named as potential award winners.
Voting for the 2020 CFDA Fashion Awards runs through July 27 at midnight EST. Winners will be announced on September 14 via the CFDA website and its social media channels. See below for a full list of nominees.
CFDA 2020 Fashion Awards Nominees
American Womenswear Designer of the Year
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, The Row
Brandon Maxwell
Gabriela Hearst
Marc Jacobs
Tom FordAmerican Menswear Designer of the Year
Emily Adams Bode, Bode
Kerby Jean-Raymond, Pyer Moss
Todd Snyder
Thom Browne
Tom FordAmerican Accessories Designer of the Year
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, The Row
Gabriela Hearst
Stuart Vevers, Coach
Jennifer Fisher, Jennifer Fisher Jewelry
Telfar Clemens, TelfarAmerican Emerging Designer of the Year
Christopher John Rogers
Kenneth Nicholson
Peter Do
Reese Cooper
Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto, STAUDGlobal Women’s Designer of the Year
Daniel Lee, Bottega Veneta
Dries Van Noten
Miuccia Prada, Prada
Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino
Rick OwensGlobal Men’s Designer of the Year
Craig Green
Dries Van Noten
Jonathan Anderson, Loewe
Kim Jones, Dior
Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton
