Willy Chavarria was awarded American Menswear Designer of the Year in Monday evening’s 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards presented by Amazon Fashion.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America event, which honors designers and other luminaries who have made impactful contributions to American fashion during the year, was only the latest in what has been a remarkable year for Chavarria, who earlier in 2023 released high-profile collaborations with both Dickies and Pacsun.
The American Womenswear Designer of the Year went to Khaite’s Catherine Holstein for the second year in a row. In March, the label received an investment from Stripes, a private equity firm which has also supported the growth of brands including athletic footwear company On, apparel brand Reformation and innerwear company Parade.
Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen of The Row won American Accessory Designer of the Year, although Vogue Business reported that the pair did not attend the ceremony. Rachel Scott of Diotima was presented with the Shop with Google American Emerging Designer of the Year award. Scott was also a finalist for this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
Other honorees included Vera Wang, who received the Board of Directors' Tribute for her impact on bridal; Maria Cornejo, who took home the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award; Mara Hoffman, who was awarded the Environmental Sustainability Award; Jonathan Anderson, who was given the International Award for his work with JW Anderson and Loewe; and Domenico De Sole, who was presented with the Founder's Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert by his long-time colleague Tom Ford.
Journalist Alina Cho was presented with a media award.
Additionally, athlete Serena Williams was named the year’s Fashion Icon, and wellness retailer Goop won the Innovation Award presented by Amazon Fashion, which was accepted by Goop’s founder and CEO Gwyneth Paltrow.
There were also tributes to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and the 50th anniversary of monumental fashion event the Battle of Versailles.
The awards show, now in its 43rd year, was held at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, and was attended by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne and celebrities including writer and comedian Ayo Edebiri, musician J Balvin, actor Charles Melton, actor and event host Anne Hathaway, and designers including Narciso Rodriguez, Greg Lauren and Prabal Gurung. Additional attendees included Kim Kardashian, Demi Moore and President of Amazon Fashion Muge Erdirik Dogan.
The CFDA, a not-for-profit trade association, was founded in 1962. It also owns the Fashion Calendar and organizes the official New York Fashion Week schedule. In its 2022 annual report, released in August, the organization reported it had doubled its revenue to $6.5 million compared to $3.2 million in 2021.
