The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Awards is one of the industry's most prestigious and revered award ceremonies.
Last night's ceremony saw a bevy of the world's most stylish personalities, tastemakers and designers descend on New York for what is often considered the Oscars of the fashion world.
American fashion's starriest night featured a number of celebrity presenters including Emily Blunt, Ciara, Squid Game star and model HoYeon Jung, Jodie Turner-Smith, Cara Delevingne and Emily Ratajkowski.
With so many industry insiders attending, the red carpet was as fabulous as you would expect. From Anya Taylor-Joy in retro Oscar de la Renta to Emily Blunt in a striking Christopher John Rogers suit, there were some outstanding looks to be found on the red carpet.
An Irish connection will always be found at a big event, and last night's ceremony was no exception.
With a growing focus on health and wellness across all lifestyle elements, the CFDA chose to name CleanCo as the official Non-Alcoholic Spirits Partner for the event.
The award-winning no/low spirits brand is owned by none other than reality TV star Spencer Matthews who attended the event with his wife, Irish TV presenter and podcaster Vogue Williams.
This year's awards saw Euphoria star and fashion muse Zendaya crowned as the 2021 CFDA Fashion Icon Award, an honor that's has previously been awarded to stylish stars such as Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez.
Describing her as the "reigning monarch" of the red carpet, the CFDA said that the actress has made a global impact on fashion, and praised her for supporting up and coming designers - including Womenswear of the Year nominee, Peter Do.
Not only that, but they noted the 25-year-old's own meteoric rise within the fashion industry:
"In 2013, Zendaya launched the Daya by Zendaya clothing line, early on pioneering gender-fluid designs and a more inclusive size range. She also notably collaborated with CFDA board member Tommy Hilfiger on the Tommy x Zendaya collection, inspired by strong, iconic women and presented in Paris first and then at the historic Apollo Theater in New York. Today, she is a spokesperson for Lancôme, Bulgari, and Valentino."
Another noteworthy moment from the night was Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy being awarded the first ever Face of the Year award.
Speaking on her outstanding performance as Beth Harom in the Netflix hit, the CFDA said that Taylor-Joy "captivated audiences" and that her on-screen persona was so powerful it has shot the actress to fashion fame, landing her on countless national and international magazines such as ELLE, Tatler, Vogue, and Vanity Fair.
The shining statue was awarded to the actress by model Cara Delevingne.
The annual awards shine a spotlight on some of the year's brightest up and coming talent. The winners of the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards were as follows:
- Christopher John Rogers, American Womenswear Designer of the Year
- Emily Bode Aujla of Bode, American Menswear Designer of the Year
- Telfar Clemens of Telfar, American Accessories Designer of the Year
- Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, American Emerging Designer of the Year
- Demna of Balenciaga, International Women’s Designer of the Year
- Grace Wales Bonner of Wales Bonner, International Men’s Designer of the Year
Click through our gallery above to see the red carpet looks.
