Anthony Vaccarello will receive the CFDA International Designer of the Year award, the council announced as it published the full slate of 2026 nominees and honorees. The list, released ahead of CFDA events and New York’s spring 2027 shows, pairs established houses with a crop of rising names and comeback stories, and will be celebrated at the CFDA Fashion Awards on November 2.
On the womenswear side, Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon earned a repeat nomination for American Womenswear Designer of the Year as the brand marks its 45th season. He joins contenders including Catherine Holstein for Khaite, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Rachel Scott of Diotima, who won the CFDA award in 2024. The nominations underscore the council’s continued attention to enduring American labels and designers who have built sustained commercial and cultural profiles.
Menswear nominations highlight both legacy and revival. Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, who relaunched Public School New York earlier this year, are shortlisted for Menswear Designer of the Year; the pair previously won the prize in 2014. Also up for menswear are Todd Snyder, Thom Browne, Willy Chavarria, and Ralph Lauren, names the CFDA has repeatedly recognised as central to the category’s present momentum.
Accessory nominations again feature The Row’s Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen alongside Ana Khouri, Sophie Buhai, Stuart Vevers for Coach, and Raul Lopez for Luar, who is returning to the New York schedule after a season away. The Google American Emerging Designer of the Year list mixes newcomers with CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists: Colleen Allen, Julian Louie for Aubero, Emily Dawn Long, Julia Ferentinos of Juju Vera, and Zane Li of Lii, who recently won the 2026 Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the LVMH Prize in Paris.
Beyond category nominees, the CFDA named a slate of special honorees. Tory Burch will receive the Positive Change Award. Photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin will be presented with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. Linda Fargo is the Founder’s Award honoree in tribute to Eleanor Lambert. Eva Chen will accept the Media Award in honour of Eugenia Sheppard, and the Isabel Toledo Board of Directors’ Tribute will go to Susan Cianciolo. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Keke Palmer and presented in partnership with Amazon Fashion.
Winners will be announced at the CFDA Fashion Awards on November 2, when the nominations and tributes announced now are formalised into the season’s honours and industry endorsements.
