The CFDA Awards Are Still On
The CFDA Awards Are Still On
The COVID-19 global pandemic took a massive hit to the fashion industry, with shows and events being cancelled, and brands forcing to permanently close stores and file for bankruptcy. But as things start to reopen, some events are back on. This week, the CFDA awards announced that they would hold a virtual ceremony on Monday, September 14. They also announced that they would be adding two new categories to the ceremony, both celebrating international achievements. They are, Global Women's Designer of The Year, and Global Men's Designer of The Year. This is replacing the International Designer Award. There is one other change to this year's ceremony. Since this is a virtual event, and there is no red carpet, no honorees will be names. Past honorees have been massive stars in the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Janelle Monae.
“In this time of unprecedented challenge and change for our industry, we feel very strongly that it is important to recognize the nominees representing the best of fashion creativity,” Tom Ford, chairman of the CFDA, said in a press release. “We look forward to returning to an in-person celebration honoring the American fashion industry in 2021.”
Report: Anna Bechtel
The 2020 CFDA Awards
The 2020 CFDA Awards
The 2020 CFDA Awards were originally slated for June 8 and would have been the first of its kind to be spearheaded by council chairman Tom Ford, but the COVID-19 outbreak has, of course, disrupted much of the event’s plans. Gone is the trademark opening ceremony, and with it the anticipated announcement of celebrity honorees.
The award show will be still be taking place online, however, and Ford has proceeded with accommodative changes. Efforts typically expended towards maintaining a physical venue will instead be channeled into supporting the countless designers affected by mandatory quarantine measures. The most radical change is the new dedication to racial equity in the fashion industry moving forward. A lack of diversity persists even in this year’s CFDA Awards, in which only four designers of color were nominated in the top American categories. CFDA and Vogue have begun remedying this issue by donating $1 million from their A Common Thread fundraiser to Icon 360, an organization providing relief to designers of color. Additionally, the emerging designer category has become more diverse, most notably with Christopher John Rodgers winning last year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.
The CFDA will announce this year’s winners on September 14 via their website and social channels. The council’s own Tom Ford has thus far been nominated for American Designer of the Year for both menswear and womenswear.
Photo credits:
https://www.vogue.com/article/2020-cfda-awards-nominees-announced
https://cfda.com
Report: Nia Hunt
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.