This year's winners list also included four first-time winners.
Date September 15, 2020
As with most things this year, awards ceremonies are looking a little different in that most of them are taking place virtually. The CFDA Awards is one such event. Taking place in June each year, the CFDA Awards – dubbed the Oscars of the fashion world – are a highlight on the industry’s calendar. This year, the event was first postponed indefinitely, and then confirmed to be taking place during NYFW S/S21 albeit in a digital capacity. Overnight, the winners of the 2020 CFDA Awards were announced via NYFW’s online platform, Runway360.
In a pre-taped video, chairman Tom Ford said, “Since 1981, the CFDA Fashion Awards has recognized the best in fashion creativity. But 2020 has been anything but typical, and we decided to forgo the in-person event, and instead announce the winners here today at the beginning of New York Fashion Week. Not having a gala allows us to focus on supporting designers during the global pandemic and redirecting our efforts towards scholarships, and bringing racial equality to fashion. For this year only, we decided to focus exclusively on our designer nominees.”
This year’s winners represent the most diverse group of recipients in the awards’ 39-year history with three Black designers – Kerby Jean-Raymond, Christopher John Rogers and Telfar Clemens – taking out the top prizes in their respective categories and Gabriela Hearst becoming the first female designer to win the womenswear prize since 2015 (she was also the only female winner in this year’s line-up).
Discover the winners of the 2020 CFDA Awards below:
American Womenswear Designer of the Year
Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row
Brandon Maxwell
Gabriela Hearst *WINNER*
Marc Jacobs
Tom Ford
American Menswear Designer of the Year
Emily Adams Bode for Bode
Kerby Jean-Raymond for Pyer Moss*WINNER*
Thom Browne
Todd Snyder
Tom Ford
American Accessories Designer of the Year
Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row
Gabriela Hearst
Jennifer Fisher for Jennifer Fisher Jewelry
Stuart Vevers for Coach
Telfar Clemens for Telfar *WINNER*
American Emerging Designer of the Year
Christoper John Rogers*WINNER*
Kenneth Nicolson
Peter Do
Reese Cooper
Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto for Staud
Global Womenswear Designer of the Year
Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta
Dries Van Noten
Miuccia Prada
Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino*WINNER*
Rick Owens
Global Menswear Designer of the Year
Craig Green
Dries Van Noten
Jonathan Anderson for Loewe
Kim Jones for Dior*WINNER*
Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton