Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne and Khaite are among the nominees, while Anthony Vaccarello, Linda Fargo and Inez and Vinoodh will receive honors
The Council of Fashion Designers of America has announced the nominees and first group of honorees for the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards, which will take place November 2 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The ceremony, presented by Amazon Fashion and hosted by Keke Palmer, will return to the museum for the fourth consecutive year. Nominees span the CFDA’s four competitive categories — womenswear, menswear, accessories and emerging design — while Anthony Vaccarello, Linda Fargo, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Eva Chen, Tory Burch and Susan Cianciolo are among this year’s honorees.
For American Womenswear Designer of the Year, the nominees are Catherine Holstein for Khaite, Michael Kors, Rachel Scott for Diotima, Tory Burch and Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera.
The American Menswear Designer of the Year category brings together Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School New York, Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Todd Snyder and Willy Chavarria.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen for The Row are nominated for American Accessory Designer of the Year alongside Ana Khouri, Raul Lopez for Luar, Sophie Buhai and Stuart Vevers for Coach.
The nominees for Google American Emerging Designer of the Year are Colleen Allen, Emily Dawn Long, Julia Ferentinos for Juju Vera, Julian Louie for Aubero and Zane Li for Lii.
Beyond the competitive categories, the CFDA will recognize a group of figures from across fashion, photography, retail and media.
Anthony Vaccarello will receive International Designer of the Year for his work at Saint Laurent. The recognition arrives as Vaccarello marks a decade at the French house, where he has served as creative director since 2016.
Photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin will receive the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. The duo, known professionally as Inez and Vinoodh, have worked together for four decades across fashion editorials, advertising, portraiture and art.
Linda Fargo will receive the Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert, coinciding with three decades at Bergdorf Goodman. The award recognizes Fargo’s influence on fashion through her work in visual storytelling, merchandising and curation, as well as her support of American designers.
Eva Chen will receive the Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard for her work connecting fashion and technology through her role at Meta and her engagement with designers, brands, creators and audiences.
The Isabel Toledo Board of Directors’ Tribute will be presented to Susan Cianciolo. Her RUN collection brought together fashion with handwork, reuse and repair as well as performance, installation, film, painting and food, establishing an early approach to sustainable and multidisciplinary fashion practice.
Tory Burch, who is also nominated for American Womenswear Designer of the Year, will receive the Positive Change Award. The CFDA is recognizing her work through the Tory Burch Foundation, which has focused on expanding access to capital, education, mentorship and other resources for women entrepreneurs.
“The CFDA Fashion Awards presented by Amazon Fashion are a defining moment for American creativity, bringing our community together to recognize the designers and creative voices whose talent, vision, and originality continue to move our industry forward,” said Steven Kolb, CEO and president of the CFDA. “This year feels especially meaningful as we celebrate the extraordinary breadth of American creativity and its influence on culture around the world. We are proud to honor those shaping fashion today while creating a platform that inspires and supports the generation that will define its future.”
Additional honorees will be announced ahead of the ceremony.
The winners of the womenswear, menswear, accessory and emerging designer categories will be determined by the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild, an invitation-only voting body comprising CFDA member designers and other fashion industry professionals, including editors, journalists, retailers and stylists. Voting will open October 7 and close October 21.
Google will support the American Emerging Designer of the Year award, while M·A·C Cosmetics will serve as official beauty partner and Krug as official Champagne partner. WYouth and Nuuly will present the event’s Student Viewing Section for CFDA scholars and fashion students.
The 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards will take place Monday, November 2, with Keke Palmer hosting the ceremony.