CFDA Reveals Nominees

(NEW YORK) Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein; Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler; and Marc Jacobs have been nominated for the 2008 Womenswear Designer of the Year award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Dries Van Noten will receive the International Award; Carolina Herrera will receive the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award; and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will receive the Board of Director's Special Tribute. Candy Pratts Price of Style.com will receive the Eugenia Sheppard Award.

The 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards will take place June 2 at the New York Public Library in a theater-style setup, followed by a dinner at the nearby Bryant Park Grill. Swarovski is underwriting the event for the seventh year. Author Fran Lebowitz will serve as emcee.

For the Menswear Designer of the Year award, Tom Ford, Michael Bastian, and Thom Browne have been nominated. Tory Burch, Michael Kors, and Jacobs will compete for the Accessory Designer of the Year award.

Nominees for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear are Thakoon Panichgul, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, and Alexander Wang. On the men's side, the nominees are Tim Hamilton, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, and Patrik Ervell. For the Swarovski Award for Accessory Design, nominees are Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry, Philip Crangi, and Joy Gryson. The winner in each category will receive financial support and product from Swarovski, as well as exposure to the company's crystal resources.

The nominated designers for the top awards will be judged on both their Spring and Fall 2008 collections.

The nominees, as well as honorary award recipients, were confirmed Monday at a meeting of the CFDA board where they were unveiled at the Rooftop Gardens on top of Rockefeller Center at an event hosted by the CFDA board of directors and Swarovski. Nadja Swarovski could not be in attendance, having delivered her third child--a girl named Sienna--two weeks ago in Europe.