Fashion Focus: the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards

Founded in 1980, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) Fashion Awards honours and showcases excellence in fashion design and is often referred to as ‘the Oscars of fashion’. The awards, hosted by the CDFA, recognise exceptional contributions made to American fashion from all areas of the industry and related arts. Nominations are proposed from over 1500 CFDA members, fashion editors, retailers, and stylists. The awards not only focus attention on young and upcoming designers but also allow time to express gratitude for the influential work of significant individuals. Let’s shine a spotlight on the successful nominees who were awarded the CFDA Fashion awards.

Zankov’s avoidance of traditional understandings of knitwear has resulted in his work being deemed exceptional

Henry Zankov, for his brand Zankov, was awarded ‘Emerging Designer of the Year’. Zankov was previously a finalist in 2023 for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, an established fund designed to help emerging designers and cultivate the next generation of American fashion talent. Therefore, his emerging talent and craftsmanship have now been deservingly awarded. In 2022, Zankov was known for his creation of a ‘colourful future’ in knitwear, and in 2024, he was able to present more range within his work through unexpected silhouettes and a pile-up of textures. Zankov’s avoidance of traditional understandings of knitwear has resulted in his work being deemed exceptional – allowing him to become ‘the fashion world’s go-to sweater guy’.

The 2023 ‘Emerging Designer’, Diotima’s Rachel Scott, was awarded her second CFDA in 2024 – ‘American Womenswear Designer of the Year’. She was up against nominees such as Marc Jacobs and Jack McCollough, and Lazaro Hernandez who have seven and five CFDA’s respectively. Rachel Scott, a Jamaican American designer, has a strong authentic and inclusive artistic vision, crafting a nuanced style through tailoring, knit dressing, and sportswear with handcrafted details. Rachel Scott, this year, designed for WNBA star Angel Reese and has previously designed for Aurora James and Ayesha Curry. Diotima, paying homage to Scott’s Jamaican heritage, designs with the intention of creating a ‘sultry haven’ for women and is successful in achieving this aim. Therefore, Scott is well-deserving of her second CFDA, which she accepted overwhelmed with emotion, as the first black woman to have received this award.

Scott wasn’t alone in securing her second CFDA. Willy Chavarria achieved his second ‘American Menswear Designer of the Year’ award, previously winning in 2023. Luar’s Raul Lopez was awarded the ‘American Accessories Designer of the Year’ award for the second time following his prior success in 2022.

Chavarria, with his Fall 2024 Menswear Collection, ‘Safe from Harm’, was introspective and reverential. The runaway, true to Chavarria, featured his signature of ‘bigger’, with bigger lapels, collars and shoulders, but remained grounded, down-to-earth, and real despite the conceptual moments. In 2024, he leaned into a barer and stripped-back presentation of his garments, allowing the statements to be made by his clothing. This was incredibly successful and demonstrated that Chavarria was once again worthy of the title of ‘American Menswear Designer of the Year’.

I hope we can see designers innovating to reduce harm to wildlife and communities, lower emissions, and resolve global and environmental inequality

Lopez, building his brand with a subversive vision and family values, achieved great success with the Ana bag – named after his grandmother, mum, and sister. This success has allowed him to design at the intersection of tradition and contemporary. Luar’s Fall 2024 Collection, titled ‘Deceptionista’ explored the concept of metrosexuality and the idea of masking and unmasking one’s own sexuality. It was an avant-garde collection, with exaggerated shoulder and nipped waists, which was emboldened through the range and quality of accessories – notably the diversity of bags.

The importance of bags was also present with Stuart Vevers’ ‘Innovation Award’ for Coachtopia – a circular fashion brand by COACH that offers 100% recycled totes, wallets, shoulder bags, and more. The global fashion industry produces over 92 million tonnes of waste per year. Therefore, it is a priority for the fashion industry to formulate motions to reduce negative outputs and to make efforts in the preservation of our environment. COACH’s engagement in a ‘road to circularity’, and award for the direction, demonstrates a significant step for progress. It is within this realm that I hope we can see designers innovating to reduce harm to wildlife and communities, lower emissions, and resolve global and environmental inequality.