2023 CFDA Awards Fashion Review
Did The Fashion Girls, Fashion Girl?
The CFDA Fashion Awards happened earlier this week, and while I can always find something to complain about, for the most part I wasn’t that mad at a lot of these looks. Of course, like with most award shows lately, I often find myself underwhelmed. I was thinking about how sometimes, someone can wear something quite simple, but it is so them, and so well done, which is why it still blows me away. And I think that’s what I”m missing a lot of the time— people wearing things they’re excited about.
Before we talk looks, let’s go through our winners real quick:
American Womenswear Designer of the Year: Catherine Holstein of Khaite (I don’t hate Khaite, but respectfully, I would have given it to any other of the nominees)
American Menswear Designer of the Year: Willy Chavarria (IKTR!!!!!!!!!)
American Accessory Designer of the Year: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen of The Row (my girls were not in attendance, and I stan The Row till I die, but Raul Lopez of Luar and Brandon Blackwood though///:)
American Emerging Designer of the Year: Rachel Scott of Diotima (Again, IKTR!)
Fashion Icon Award: Serena Williams (I luv Serena Williams, but this was an interesting choice! Also, y’all know I’ve been waiting for Lil Kim to get this award for years)
Innovation Award: goop and Gwyneth Paltrow (lmao)
Board of Directors’ Tribute: Vera Wang, for her impact on bridal
Media Award: Alina Chow, in honor of Euginia Sheppard
Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Maria Cornejo
The Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert: Domenico De Sole
Environmental Sustainability Award: Mara Hoffman
International Award: Jonathan Anderson for JW Anderson and Loewe (One more final, IKTR!)
Okay, now let’s get into it.
Simkhai is a simple, luxury American brand that doesn’t really try to be anything it’s not, so I can’t be too mad at this look in theory. I also love Alex, and she’s a modle, so she’s gonna sell you on anything, honey. Honestly, I do love a waistcoat as a top and I like the way the pockets stick out from underneath. The skirt being low waisted compliments the top nicely and is tailored to her well, however is there a seam undone at the waistline?
Now, one thing Alton Mason is gonna do, is look hot. I’m not mad at this outfit at all, but I am mad at it being Dolce. I feel like LaQuan Smith could have hooked it up with something similar and even more scrumptious.
This is simple, but it is very Alaïa, King of Cling. This light blue is such a lovely color, and I those ruffled sleeves add a bit of fun— and you know I love a good chinky bangle. There’s something I really enjoy about the juxtaposition of a modest, turtleneck, long sleeve style dress, that is entirely sheer.
Anne Hathaway was out host of the evening, and she wore a look from the most recent Ralph Lauren Spring 2024 collection. This was a rough collection, to say the least, but this denim on denim moment was one of my favorite looks from it. It’s quintessential Ralph Americana and I love a good play on a Canadian tuxedo. I think it looks beautiful on Anne, however on the runway the skirt was worn low waisted, so that there was more separation between the top and bottom. While I don’t hate the way it’s styled here, I did like the way it looked on the runway a bit better— it just added to the whole Y2K of it all.
She also gave us an outfit change, that was quite the opposite of her first look in Rodarte SS2018. It’s very Rodarte in its lace, ruffles, and florals. It’s a really lovely dress and is fitted to her perfectly. That red lace is stunning, and it makes the black details all the more striking. Also, whatever the undergarment situation is here, it’s doing a fantastic job, because she looks nude.
Ariana has had some cool and fun fashion moments— this is not one of them. These ribbons of fabric don’t interact with each other in a seamless way, especially around the bust area. There’s also something about the black strap that feels out of place. I suppose it’s meant to give the dress that bra strap/lingerie feel, but it’s too abrupt.
Ayesha wore our Emerging Designer of the Year winner, and I love! Diotima is such a fun and refreshing brand, and I’m obsessed with Rachel’s work with crochet. The place of the circular shapes is very strategic and intelligent. All the crochet is made in Jamaica and it’s just so lovely.
Oh how I love a fashion girl in something by Jonathan Anderson. It’s funny, because Loewe is known for being quite cooky, but they kept it all black and stripped down for everyone who wore the brand this evening. However, there were those small attentions to detail that make the otherwise simple looks special. Here, Ayo’s dress is cut on the bias, and has a scrumptiously cowled high neckline. She looks stunning.
Camille is such a quintessential French, gamine, fashion, cool girl. You know? If someone wears The Row, chances are, I’m sold, and that’s just my truth! This strapless wool draped top with culottes is something only The Row could convince you of needing in your life. Not only do I love the idea of such a heavy fabric being draped, but I love that it’s made into a style more associated with warmer weather. If you want to do simple, chic, luxury clothing, this is the way to do it.
Chloë wore CJR, because she has taste. Yellow can be a hard color to pull off, but she’s doing it! I love the asymmetrical, ruffled neckline, and having it tied off with ribbon makes me feel like if I tightened it, it’d close right up. The draping isn’t very precise, but you can tell it’s intentional. I also think the red rose clutch is a fun little tough, and looks stunning against the yellow.
Coco is wearing Christian Siriano, because they’re besties, and listen, sometimes you have to tell your friends when they’re doing some dumb shit. I just have a lot of questions. Why are the pinks different fabrics AND different colors? What are the trains attached to? Why is there a ruffled bow(?) sticking out of the waistline? Why does everything feel like an afterthought? Anyway, fun headpiece!
I mean, there’s no doubt that Demi looks really hot. This might not be the most insane dress, but it’s also Carolina Herrera, so it looks exactly how I’d expect it to look. I will say, it fits her really well, and the larger pailletes on top of the smaller sequins add some good texture.
This feels different for Devon! I do like the idea of draping velvet, just because it’s a heavier fabric and isn’t often seen in that way, but this really isn’t anything groundbreaking.
Dove is a Coach girl, so we’ve been seeing her wear the brand quite a lot recently. Here she’s in a look from the most recent Spring 2024 collection, and I don’t hate it, but I also won’t be thinking about it tomorrow. The black version of this dress was one of the better ones, and Coach is a leather house, so that’s nice to see.
Y’all know how obsessed I’ve been with Tory Burch ever since the brand had a complete rebrand. I find myself excited to see each new collection, and just constantly want more. This dress from Spring 2024 is beautifully pleated and draped, and I’m OBSESSED. I feel like Emily doesn’t look as obsessed, and I think sometimes there’s a disconnect between the clothing and the people wearing the, which takes away from the impact and excitement. Also, there’s so much cool footwear at Tory Burch right now, and these heels are so lackluster.
Emma looks great here! Then again, it’s very difficult to look bad in Thom Browne. I love the boning and structure of the top and how the hips jut out a little bit. The bit of deconstruction happening down below is intriguing and almost looks like a play on a garter. Usually, I’d be annoyed by the bottom half of the dress randomly being a different texture of the top, but here it ties in the cropped jacket, so it works. Also! Didn’t Lizzo wear a version of this dress to the 2022 Met Gala?
Again, so exciting to see Diotima and Rachel win Emerging Designer of the Year, and I hope we see more of her work on red carpets to come! I think this is a nice blend of the designers Caribbean heritage and NYC home, by this edgier, deconstructed dress having that signature crochet at the hem. I also love that Eva often wears young and emerging designers— very cool of her.
Greta is a fashion girl and she’s no stranger to a scrumptious Loewe moment. Like I said when discussing Ayo’s dress, the Loewe attendees were quite simple in the outfits they were given, but each piece had its own special touch. Here, although the dress itself is a simple, black silk, the neckline has this gold ring holding its structure. I will say, I do wish there was a bit less puckering, but overall I do think that the more structured neckline is doing a good job of not messing with the lighter fabric.
Goop wore goop, and gave us a little Steve Jobs slay. I mean, fine, but whatever’s happening at the waist could be better.
Hari is wearing a look from JW Anderson Spring 2024, and there’s something about a draped jersey that’s just always gonna do it for me. This color is beautiful, and like I’ve already implied, this draping is scrumptious. I also love the how the pieces of fabric are tied off on the bottom, as if untying them would unravel the whole dress.
Raul Lopez’s mind is really something. I love, love, love Luar, and I think this look featured a lot of Luar-isms in a really beautiful way. I also love that the iconic Ana bag has been covered in plumes of feathers to make it feel like a fan. You can also see some feathers tucked into Hiandra’s hair, which is a nice little touch.
Jordan Roth is always gonna eat. He’s one of of those people that really surrenders themselves to the fashion from head to toe. From the feathered coat, to the ombréd sequin skirt suit, to the heeled shoe, to the nautical details, to the fingerless gloves, the the trompe l’oeil latex tie shirt, it’s all perfection. Like I said earlier, it’s really difficult to look bad in Thom Browne.
Just an icon, being an icon. The play with sheerness in the skirt is really compelling and makes the dress feel like it has a deconstructive quality to it. The pleating of the skirt is really lovely and this is tailored to her beautifully.
This is probably my least favorite Thom Browne look of the night. I’m not mad at a wool midi with a sharp shoulder, but I do think it could be a touch crisper.
Honestly, anytime Kim isn’t wearing Balenciaga or Dolce & Gabbana, I feel like I’m willing to be a little more lenient in my critique. While this set still falls into the Kim Kardashian style vortex, I’m not mad at it. It’s actually tailored to her well— she’s actually been good at that recently, must have heard all my complaints. The looks i covered in the Chrome Hearts cross, but some of the crosses are actually coming off of the dress which adds some nice texture. I wish the hem didn’t have a clear line, so it’d give the illusion of the whole thing being just patched together crosses.
OKAY KIM WITH THE ARCHIVAL CHRISTIAN LACROIX PULL! I mean this is gorgeous, and there’s something so special about a vintage piece fitting someone perfectly, because you know they’re not about to tailor that thing. Originally the rosette Kim has on her shoulder was worn around the waist, however I think this works just fine. There’s just so much delicious texture here and it’s such a fun pull.
I think Saint Sintra is a really cool brand, and I often like their clothing, but this is really rough. That sating has so much pull in so many places where it shouldn’t. This is such a simple look, and so the main focus should be making it perfect. It also reminds me of that copper look Daniel Roseberry did for, both, Schiaparelli couture and ready-to-wear, except, like, extremely off brand.
LaKieth is one of the few men that likes to have fun with their style, and it almost always pays off. I like this tweed suit and I think the weight and structure of the pants makes sense for them to pool a bit at the bottom. The crocheted tank underneath adds some more texture and ties in the shoe nicely, and I’m not mad at a little pop of pink from the scarf. The hat isn’t for me, but I’m not incredibly mad at it.
Y’all better leave Law alone, because this Luar look is a fun time. I loved this cutout pant/suited style we saw in the most recent collection, and I think wearing no pants makes sense with Luar as a brand. However, I do wish he’d tucked the shirt into the underwear or had a pair of briefs made out of the same material as the rest of the outfit— would have been chic.
He looks so good!! I mean it’s a very classic Thom look, and I don’t want to repeat myself too much, but I love when a designer is just so good at their craft, that they can mess with things like fit and proportion in such a delicious way.
Lola has been on my radar recently, because I feel like she’s becoming a fashion girly. While most people do wear American designers to the CFDAs, this is such a gorgeous little number, that I don’t even care. It’s very Balmain in its structure, and is a really fun way to play on the naked trend. It also reminds me of Kim Kardashian’s Balmain era, and how good that was.
Oh BITCH, she looks good. Again, we stan Luar in this house. While I don’t know if this is real fur, Luar has used real fur in the past, and y’all are about to be real mad at me… but I don’t care. I think the conversation around using real fur an leather has more nuance than people like to think it does, and this is coming from someone who has been a vegan since 2015. Raul Lopez talked about how for a lot of people, especially immigrants or those from minority communities, getting your first fur is a really big deal and milestone, and I don’t think that’s something I can suddenly be mad at, especially when I have a mother who felt the same way. I mean, this is a gorgeous coat style dress, and adding the little brown belt just feels very Luar.
Madelyn has been wearing a lot of Givenchy lately, and it hasn’t been great, so this is a most pleasing switch up to ME. I mean, it’s a simple dress, but it’s fitted to her perfectly and the embroidery is stunning. I love the way the heavier beading disperses towards the bottom instead of just having a harsh stop, and the peaked neckline is a nice little detail.
Now, who put Mary in Christian Siriano?! Listen, it does fit her well, I’ll give it that, but it’s not that groundbreaking of a look, so it should at least be perfect. The sleeves look like they were made and embroidered separately and then attached at the last minute, because those branches, or whatever they are, are on their own journey. Had it been sleeveless, it would have looked a lot cleaner.
Oh we love a full Marc Jacobs moment. I believe this is from the collection where Marc was paying tribute to Vivienne Westwood, and reimagined her tit tops— a style that he himself does often play with. I love this yellow color, and I’m always going to drool at the sight of a Kiki boot.
I’ve talked about my love for Zac Posen many times, because he is just such a special designer, so I’m happy he’s still doing custom work, but the fit of this is not great. The dress is too long and there’s puckering at the waist. I love the way it drapes over the one shoulder into this open sleeve and the color is gorgeous, but it’s not my favorite.
Again, not the craziest look from Oscar de la Renta, but it’s simple done really well. The strips of fabric creating this swirled pattern, look like they’re about to peal off, especially because there is that slit. The dress also plays on the naked style of dress that we’ve seen the duo at Oscar play with over the past few years.
I love that we got some Willy womenswear looks, at the CFDAs, and I bow down to his menswear, but!!! An argument is being made!!! Anyway, I love how Willy is always playing with the masculine and feminine in such a seamless way. The skirt obviously adds that classic eveningwear touch, but the cummerbund, tank top, and blazer are elements we see in his menswear very often. Paloma’s a fashion girl, and she gets it.
An icon wearing an icon! I mean, listen, CJR knows what he’s doing, and this is just such a fun and exciting look. It fits her beautifully, and I just love how you know it’s CJR with one glance.
Raul Lopez of Luar, wearing Luar, of course, is gorg. I mean, look how crisp those pants are! I also love how his look compliments Hiandra’s with the embroidered sash and feathers in his pocket. The jacket also has the most beautiful buttons and embroidery on the sleeves that reminds of of flamenco dancers.
Another legend. Rauw looks so good it’s actually stupid. While he’s quite nice to look at on his own, can we get a little commotion for the suit? I mean?! The fit of the pants is imacculate, and I love the peaked shoulder of the jacket, as well as the sheer shirt underneath. The satin glove and rosette are also really lovely details. It all just makes sense, and if you don’t get it, I feel bad for you, oop.
Here we have our Fashion Icon recipient of the night, and while I do love the concept of this look and think she looks beautiful, we could have done a bit of editing. I don’t mind some fucked up draping, but it doesn’t feel entirely intentional around the thigh area, and the skirt is a little too long. While I know the grosgrain ribbon is a Thom Browne house code, it does feel a little silly just trailing behind here. I do love the large puffed sleeves, though— I’m a sucker for some silk moiré. This just had such incredible potential to be THE moment.
This Loewe looks special touch is the metallic bowl creating the halter style. The way the fabric is draped over it ever so perfectly is making me salivate. Also, what a fun boot!
YES TRASH BAG CHIC! That is not a dig, I’m obsessed with this, it’s so good. I believe this is a coated taffeta, and it fits her incredibly. Also I love those rainbow buttons running down the center, because we all know CJR is a master at color.
Here we have the chairman himself looking incredibly chic! I mean, the pleats of those skirts knock me the fuck out every time.
I see Willy and I feel joy! Again, plays on suiting turned into eveningwear, and that signature rosette detail. Really simple, but done very well. That single button holding everything together is so sexy.
This is actually a really beautiful dress. Vera was being honored for her work in bridal, and I think this dress captures the essence of a lot of bridal wear, while still tapping into that gothic vibe we often get from Vera’s clothing by making it all black. The bodice fits her insanely well, and this skirt also had a bustle in the back!! J’adore.
So those were the CFDAs! I know I skipped some people, but it’s past my bedtime and I want to go to sleep, so.
TTYL!!!
xx