StyleBible.ph

Can I tell you..about one of the most anticipated events of the year. The 28th annual CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Awards were back at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center for a second year in a row. This is the one evening when fashion, media and film come together to celebrate people in the fashion industry. It’s our version of the Oscars. Nominees are announced months in advance and members (350 and counting) of the Council are given the opportunity to vote for who they believe deserve the recognition. Awards are also given to individuals who have been influential through their body of work and have made an impact on fashion.

As you can imagine on such a glamorous event there was no shortage of Hollywood stars who came to support their favorite designers. The relationship between Hollywood and Fashion has always been a cozy and close knit one. Gwyneth Paltrow arrived with Michael Kors, wearing the designer’s asymmetrical black gown. Supermodel Iman wore a stunning couture number from Giambattista Valli and Sarah Jessica Parker looked resplendent in a bright Alexander McQueen fairytale gown. I went with my girlfriend Stylelist’s Fashion Editor Sarah Cristobal and my friend menswear designer John Bartlett.

The pre-show cocktails is always so much fun with celebs, designers, stylists, editors and industry executives schmoozing and hobnobbing with each other. In one corner Actor Ed Westwick was discussing his next project while behind me actress Jessica Biel was planning her summer vacation with who else?! Zachary Quinto looked every bit the leading man in his Simon Spurr suit and designer Richard Chai was toasting with actor Hayden Christensen. Meanwhile, accessory designer Alexis Bittar was caught shamelessly flirting with Lulu and Betsey Johnson. Designer Prabal Gurung was bubbling with excitement to be nominated and brought supermodel Heidi Mount who wore a Rafe minaudiere! In fact, Amanda Hearst, Eugenia Gonzalez-Olloqui and Sarah Cristobal were all wearing Rafe bags that evening, much to my delight!

Sarah Jessica paid tribute to Alexander McQueen, who committed suicide in February, before a flow of models presented his final collection in a mini fashion show. That was a poignant moment.

I was really happy that my friend, jewelry designer Alexis Bittar won the Accessories Designer of the Year. I’ve known Alexis for years and this was well deserved and long overdue.

I loved Paper Magazine’s Kim Hastreiter’s short film trailing her day-to-day life complete with fab dinner party scenes. She received the Eugenia Sheppard Award acceptance speech and rocked the crowd when she said, “Just because you’re cute, well-connected, rich or the offspring of someone famous doesn’t mean you design great stuff!” Hmmm, I wonder which celebrity /designers she was referring to? Ha!

The funniest line of the evening came from model-turned-cosmetics mogul Iman, who received the Fashion Icon Award. During the 54-year-old’s acceptance speech, Iman joked to her famous spouse: ‘Move over, you’re not the only icon in the house.’

As soon as the awards were over, everybody made a mad dash to the Standard Hotel’s Boom Boom Room for the After-Party hosted by Swarovski where the drinks continued to flow all night.