The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has announced the winners of the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards presented by Amazon Fashion. Among the honorees, five emerging designers received a special recognition from Shop With Google, the official presenting partner of the American Emerging Designer of the Year Award.
Shop With Google Supports New Talent
Shop With Google, a platform that helps people discover and shop with emerging designers, has partnered with the CFDA to support the American Emerging Designer of the Year Award. This award is given to a designer or creative director who has produced womenswear, menswear or an accessory collection for up to five years.
As part of the partnership, Shop With Google awarded each of the five nominees a $10,000 grant, and the winner received $25,000. Nominees also received a full suite of Pixel products, including a Pixel phone, tablet, watch and buds, in addition to access to the Shop With Google mentorship program built in partnership with CFDA, which includes training on retail industry trends, branding and funding.
Stephanie Horton, senior director of global commerce marketing at Google, said: “Shop With Google is honored to help champion new design talent through the CFDA’s American Emerging Designer of the Year Award. People are eager to discover and shop with emerging designers, and we’re thrilled to support this year’s nominees and help level the playing field for brands of all stages and sizes.”
Shop With Google hopes to promote the success of emerging designers, and earlier this year Google sponsored the Fifteen Percent Pledge’s inaugural Achievement Award as well as Fashion Trust U.S.’ Inclusivity, Graduate and Creativity Awards.
The Nominees and The Winner
The nominees for the American Emerging Designer of the Year Award were:
- Bach Mai, a Vietnamese-American designer who creates genderless clothing inspired by his cultural heritage and personal experiences.
- Connor McKnight, a New York-based designer who blends luxury and streetwear with a focus on craftsmanship and sustainability.
- Rachel Scott for Diotima, a womenswear label that explores femininity and identity through experimental silhouettes and fabrics.
- Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell for Tanner Fletcher, a menswear brand that combines tailoring and sportswear with a playful attitude.
- Carly Mark for Puppets and Puppets, a whimsical and theatrical brand that draws from art history and pop culture.
The winner of the award was Carly Mark, who launched Puppets and Puppets in fall 2019. Mark said: “I’m so honored. To me, it’s a greatly appreciated milestone. We work so hard at Puppets and the recognition means a lot to all of us in my office. The press around the award creates really vital brand awareness as well.”
Mark also said that the prize money will help her cover post-show finances and production costs. She added: “Every little bit helps me keep going. This is an expensive industry, and especially post-runway shows, the bills accumulate.”
Other Awards and Honors
The CFDA Fashion Awards honor and recognize some of fashion’s most innovative designers and visionaries. This year’s event was held in partnership with Amazon Fashion. Natasha Lyonne hosted. Virgil Abloh was posthumously honored with the association’s Board of Trustees Award.
Some of the other awards and honorees were:
- American Womenswear Designer of the Year: Joseph Altuzarra for Altuzarra
- American Menswear Designer of the Year: Mike Amiri for Amiri
- American Accessory Designer of the Year: Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row
- International Designer of the Year: Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson and Loewe
- Board of Directors’ Tribute: Vera Wang
- Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert: Domenico De Sole
- Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Maria Cornejo
- Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard: Alina Cho
- Environmental Sustainability Award: Mara Hoffman
The CFDA also celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.
