CFDA Awards 2025: Honoring Creativity, Legacy, and future of American Fashion.
- ESADE Fashion
- Nov 14
- 4 min read
The looks, the legends, the moments!
On the night of 3rd November, once again the best of American fashion gathered in the American Museum of Natural History in New York to celebrate the 45th edition of the CFDA Awards.
Known as the “Oscars of fashion,” the CFDA Awards were founded by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1981 with the aim of celebrating and promoting American fashion design and strengthening the international reputation of U.S. designers.
“At left, founder Eleanor Lambert; in the center, Calvin Klein applauding Lifetime Achievement Award winner Katharine Hepburn, 1985; at right, Anna Wintour alongside ASAP Rocky at this edition of the CFDA Awards.”
Eleanor Lambert, founding mother of the well-known Met Gala in 1948 and one of the most influential figures in American fashion history as the woman who positioned U.S. fashion at the center of the global spotlight, was also the one to establish CFDA in 1961. As stated by Harold Koda, former curator of the Met’s Costume Institute, “Eleanor Lambert didn’t just promote fashion, she invented the idea of American fashion.”
Born in Indiana but having studied sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago, she moved to New York in her early 20s to pursue a career in the art world, where she would begin to encounter celebrities and renowned people in the entertainment industry. It would not take long for her to transition into the fashion world, realizing that American designers lacked recognition and that New York was miles behind Paris in sophistication and prestige.
In 1940 she sent 50 envelopes to the most prominent fashion editors to vote for the 15 best-dressed women of the moment. Published for the first time in the New York Times that same year, the “International Best-Dressed List” achieved the goal of shifting the international center of fashion at a time when Paris was shrinking due to the Nazi invasion. From Lady Di to Grace Kelly or Jackie Kennedy, she turned great women into timeless fashion icons.
In 1943, the first organized fashion week in the U.S. was held, allowing journalists in the U.S. to see collections from American designers when they could not travel to Paris during WWII. The MET Gala was inaugurated in 1948, its original name being “Gala of the Year,” with the intention of bringing fashion to museums. The event was created to raise funds to benefit the preservation and exhibition of fashion history through the Costume Institute, formerly the Museum of Costume Art, bringing art and fashion together. In 1962 she created CFDA, and the first awards came in 1981 during the presidency of designer Bill Blass, hosted at the New York Public Library. The awards focused on American ready-to-wear and couture’s rising stars.
“1: Gianni Versace, 1993; 2: André Leon Talley at the CFDA Honorees Awards, 1982; 3: Sarah Jessica Parker at the CFDA Fashion Awards, 1994; 4: Claudia Schiffer and Karl Lagerfeld at the CFDA Awards, 1992; 5: Naomi Campbell in Azzedine Alaïa at the CFDA Awards, 1994.”
Nowadays, the awards cover more categories like American Womenswear and Menswear Designer of the Year, American Accessory Designer of the Year, and Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the Year. Honorees are also recognized, among which we find the award for Innovation presented by Amazon Fashion, the Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert, the Isabel Toledo Board of Directors’ Tribute, International Designer of the Year, Positive Change Award, Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard, and Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.
In this 2025 edition, nominated for the CFDA Awards were Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera, Rachel Scott for Diotima, and Daniella Kallmeyer for Kallmeyer, with Ralph Lauren winning American Womenswear Designer of the Year. Thom Browne received Menswear Designer of the Year among nominees like Mike Amiri, Eckhaus Latta, The Row, and Willy Chavarria. The Row also triumphed as Accessory Designer of the Year against Ana Khouri, Khaite, Luar, and Tory Burch. Ashlynn Park was awarded Emerging Designer of the Year, standing out among Taylor Thompson, Colleen Allen, Julian Louie, and Bernard James. Honorees included A$AP Rocky as Fashion Icon, Donatella Versace with the Positive Change Award, and Cynthia Rowley receiving the Founder’s Award in memory of Eleanor Lambert. This 45th edition continued to highlight American fashion’s innovation, legacy, and growing influence across the world.
“First two photos: Ralph Lauren Spring/Summer 2025; third photo: Ralph Lauren Fall 2025 runway; fourth photo: Thom Browne Ready-to-Wear Fall 2025; final photo: AshleynnPark, Fall 2025.”
The night did not end with the awards; the red carpet itself became a celebration of style. Stars, designers, and icons arrived in striking looks that reflected the creativity and diversity of the U.S. fashion scene. From Rihanna in Alaïa and A$AP Rocky in Chanel to singer Teyana Taylor in an outstanding Thom Browne tailored set, or Swedish model Elsa Hosk shining in a vintage Elie Saab sequin dress. Model Alex Consani in a timeless Michael Kors black gown and Canadian actress Nina Dobrev in a flowered Carolina Herrera dress also caught the attention.
“1: Rihanna in Alaïa and A$AP Rocky in Chanel; 2: Teyana Taylor in a striking Thom Browne tailored set; 3: Elsa Hosk in a vintage Elie Saab sequin dress; 4: Nina Dobrev in a floral Carolina Herrera dress; 5: Alex Consani in a timeless Michael Kors black gown.”
Among the surprises of the night, it was impossible not to mention Vera Wang, who at 76 amazed everyone looking as youthful and radiant as ever. Other memorable moments included A$AP Rocky receiving the Fashion Icon award from Anna Wintour or the Olsen sisters celebrating their win for The Row on stage, and Donatella Versace being honored with the Positive Change Award, acknowledging her influence on fashion and culture.
“1: Vera Wang; 2: Donatella Versace; 3: The Olsen sisters.”
The 45th edition of the CFDA Awards not only paid tribute to Eleanor Lambert and decades of American creativity but also reaffirmed the strength, innovation, and global influence of U.S. fashion. Between the emotional tributes, the recognition of emerging talent, and the unforgettable red carpet moments, the night proved once again that American fashion continues to hold its place at the center of the global fashion scene,
proudly carrying forward the legacy left by Eleanor Lambert.
Follow Eleanor Lambert’s lead and pick the best-dressed
1.Elsa Hosk shining in a vintage Elie Saab sequin dress
2. Teyana Taylor in an outstanding Thom Browne tailored set
3.Nina Dobrev in a flowered Carolina Herrera dress
4. Alex Consani in a timeless Michael Kors black gown
By: Olivia Domínguez Trias de Bes
Comments