Every November American fashion gathers under one roof to hand itself prizes, and for the fourth year running that roof belongs to the American Museum of Natural History on Central Park West. The CFDA Fashion Awards, presented by Amazon Fashion and hosted this year by the actor and presenter Keke Palmer, take place on Monday 2 November in New York (the early hours of Tuesday 3 November in Melbourne). The nominees were announced by the Council of Fashion Designers of America on 9 September; the guild of designers, editors, retailers and stylists that chooses the winners closed its voting on Friday 23 October, according to the CFDA's latest update.
The ballot is a portrait of American fashion at an interesting moment: heritage names defending their titles, a duo relaunching the label that won them this award in 2014, and an emerging category stacked with designers who have already collected prizes this year. The guest of honour, meanwhile, arrives in a very different position from the one he was in when the invitation went out.
The honoree everyone will be watching
When the CFDA named Anthony Vaccarello International Designer of the Year in September, it was marking, in its own words, "a decade at the revered French fashion house" of Saint Laurent and his "sustained creative conviction, global influence, and cultural relevance". On 9 October, Kering announced that Vaccarello was leaving the house he had led since 2016. Kering chief executive Luca de Meo thanked him for "his contribution to Saint Laurent over the past ten years", and Saint Laurent's president, Cédric Charbit, said he had taken the house "to the forefront of desirability and image". No successor has yet been named; the house says it "will soon announce its new creative leadership". (We covered the announcement in our round-up of this autumn's creative director changes.)
That makes the award, almost by accident, a valedictory one: the most prominent tribute Vaccarello will receive for his Saint Laurent years, delivered by the American industry rather than the French one. Last year's International Award went to Pieter Mulier of Alaïa.
Womenswear: a generational line-up
The American Womenswear Designer of the Year nominees are Catherine Holstein for Khaite, Michael Kors, Rachel Scott for Diotima, Tory Burch and Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera. Vogue described it as "a full lineup spanning generations of American fashion", and the record bears that out. Holstein is a two-time winner and Kors a former winner; Scott, Vogue notes, won in 2024; Burch is a two-time nominee; and Gordon is nominated for a second consecutive year as Carolina Herrera marks its 45th anniversary. The award will be presented by Lupita Nyong'o.
Burch will not leave empty-handed whatever the result: the CFDA is giving her the Positive Change Award for her work through the Tory Burch Foundation, which it credits with "expanding access to capital, education, mentorship, and opportunity for women entrepreneurs". Last year's womenswear prize went to Ralph Lauren.
Menswear: the defending champion and a comeback
Menswear has the most familiar names. Thom Browne, who won the category last year, is nominated again, alongside Ralph Lauren, Todd Snyder, Willy Chavarria, and Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School New York. The Public School nomination is the story here: the duo relaunched the label earlier this year and, as Vogue points out, won the same award in 2014. Matt Damon presents.
Accessories and the emerging prize
In accessories, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of The Row are defending the title they won last year against the jeweller Ana Khouri, Raul Lopez for Luar, the jewellery designer Sophie Buhai, and Stuart Vevers for Coach. Naomi Osaka presents.
The Google American Emerging Designer of the Year shortlist is unusually decorated: Colleen Allen, Emily Dawn Long, Julia Ferentinos for Juju Vera, Julian Louie for Aubero, and Zane Li for Lii. Long, Ferentinos and Li are also this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists, Vogue reports, and Li won the 2026 Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the LVMH Prize in Paris earlier this month. The playwright and actor Cole Escola presents. Last year's winner was Ashlyn Park of Ashlyn. Each nominee presenter will be paired with a designer on stage, the CFDA says.
The rest of the honours
Beyond the competitive categories, the CFDA has announced a full slate of honorees:
| Award | Honoree |
|---|---|
| International Designer of the Year | Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent |
| Positive Change Award | Tory Burch |
| Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award | Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin |
| Founder's Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert | Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman |
| Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard | Eva Chen, Meta |
| Isabel Toledo Board of Directors' Tribute | Susan Cianciolo |
| Innovation Award, presented by Amazon Fashion | Gap Inc. (reported by Vogue) |
Sources: CFDA, 9 September 2026; Vogue.
The photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are recognised for four decades in which, the CFDA says, they have "influenced the visual language of contemporary fashion". Linda Fargo is celebrated for three decades at Bergdorf Goodman, and Eva Chen for "connecting fashion and technology" in her role at Meta. Susan Cianciolo's RUN collection is cited by the council as "an early model of sustainable fashion and community", built on handwork, reuse and repair.
Around the room
Amazon Fashion is the presenting partner, with Google Shopping behind the emerging award, M·A·C Cosmetics as official beauty partner and Krug as official champagne partner. WYouth and Nuuly are presenting a Student Viewing Section, bringing current CFDA scholars and fashion students into the ceremony. "This year feels especially meaningful as we celebrate the extraordinary breadth of American creativity and its influence on culture around the world," said Steven Kolb, the CFDA's chief executive and president, when the nominees were announced.
What to watch
Three questions will decide how the evening is remembered. Can Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne and The Row repeat last year's wins, or will the guild reward a comeback (Public School) or a newer voice (Diotima, Willy Chavarria)? Does Zane Li add a CFDA award to the Karl Lagerfeld Prize? And what does Anthony Vaccarello say on stage, weeks after leaving Saint Laurent and with his successor still unannounced? We will publish the winners after the ceremony; the full schedule of the season's shows and prize-givings is on our events calendar, alongside The Fashion Awards 2026 in London, whose nominees we reported here.
Featured image: Alberto-g-rovi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped for this page.
