Vera Wang, John Varvatos Honored at CFDA

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) named Vera Wang womenswear designer of the year and John Varvatos menswear designer of the year at the 2005 CFDA Fashion Awards ceremony held last night in New York.

Marc Jacobs was named accessory designer of the year. Derek Lam won Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Award for emerging talent womenswear; Alexandre Plokhlov for Cloak won the same award for emerging talent menswear; and Anthony Camargo and Nak Armstrong for Anthony Nak won for emerging talent accessory design.

In other activities, designer Diane Von Furstenberg was honored with the lifetime achievement award; Alber Elbaz, artistic director of Lanvin, received the International Award; model Kate Moss received the award for fashion influence; Elle’s publication director Gilles Bensimon received the Eugenia Sheppard Award for fashion journalism; and fashion designer Norma Kamali was given the board of directors’ special tribute.

“Our evening celebrates an industry filled with diverse, uniquely American, talent,” said CFDA executive director Peter Arnold. “In both the emerging and established designer categories, the American fashion industry is a vital, competitive force in the global market.” The awards annually honor fashion’s most eminent and established designers, journalists and creative visionaries for their originality and leadership in American fashion. They are underwritten by D. Swarovski & Co. (Wattens, Austria), the crystal and glass jewelry and home accessories manufacturer. Swarovski commissioned Studio Job, the Dutch designers, to incorporate its crystals into a dramatic “magic mirror” that had a live video-feed of the red carpet arrivals beamed into Astor Hall, site of the evening’s cocktail reception.