CFDA Fashion Awards 2026: Nominees, Honorees, Presenters & What to know

The CFDA Fashion Awards 2026 will bring American fashion’s leading designers, emerging names, and cultural figures together at New York’s American Museum of Natural History on 2 November. The ceremony will recognise achievement across womenswear, menswear, accessories, and emerging design, alongside a series of major honorary awards. With the CFDA Fashion Awards 2026 nominees, honorees, and first presenters now confirmed, the shape of one of New York fashion’s biggest nights is becoming clear.

CFDA Fashion Awards 2026 nominees

Four competitive designer awards form the core of the ceremony, bringing together established American houses, independent labels, and a new generation of designers.

American Womenswear Designer of the Year

The nominees are:

• Catherine Holstein for Khaite
• Michael Kors
• Rachel Scott for Diotima
• Tory Burch
• Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera

The category brings together several different expressions of contemporary American womenswear, from Khaite’s polished New York minimalism and Diotima’s craft-led approach to the established global presence of Michael Kors, Tory Burch, and Carolina Herrera.

Khaite SS27 by Catherine Holstein

American Menswear Designer of the Year

The nominees are:

• Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School New York
• Ralph Lauren
• Thom Browne
• Todd Snyder
• Willy Chavarria

It is a particularly experienced field, spanning Ralph Lauren’s longstanding influence on American style, Thom Browne’s conceptual tailoring, and Willy Chavarria’s increasingly prominent voice in contemporary menswear.

Thom Browne Mens Spring 2027 Runway

American Accessory Designer of the Year

The nominees are:

• Ana Khouri
• Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen for The Row
• Raul Lopez for Luar
• Sophie Buhai
• Stuart Vevers for Coach

Jewellery, handbags, and accessories meet in a category that ranges from independent designers to globally recognised American luxury brands.

Google American Emerging Designer of the Year

The nominees are:

• Colleen Allen
• Emily Dawn Long
• Julia Ferentinos for Juju Vera
• Julian Louie for Aubero
• Zane Li for Lii

The emerging category provides one of the clearest snapshots of where American fashion could be heading next. Several of this year’s nominees are also closely connected to the wider CFDA ecosystem, with Emily Dawn Long, Julia Ferentinos, and Zane Li among the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists.

The 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards honorees

Beyond the competitive categories, the CFDA Fashion Awards honorees recognise figures whose influence extends across design, photography, retail, media, and social impact.

Tory Burch will receive the Positive Change Award, recognising the social-impact work built around the Tory Burch Foundation and its support for women entrepreneurs through access to capital, education, and mentorship.

Tory Burch will receive the Positive Change Award.

Photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin will receive the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award after four decades shaping fashion imagery across editorial, advertising, portraiture, and artistic projects.

Anthony Vaccarello has been named International Designer of the Year as he marks a decade at Saint Laurent, recognising both his creative direction of the house and its continued influence on contemporary fashion.

Elsewhere, Eva Chen will receive the Media Award in honor of Eugenia Sheppard, while Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo receives the Founder’s Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert after three decades influencing luxury retail and fashion curation.

The Isabel Toledo Board of Directors’ Tribute will go to Susan Cianciolo, whose multidisciplinary work has long connected fashion with handcraft, reuse, performance, art, and community.

Who are the CFDA Fashion Awards presenters?

The first group of CFDA Fashion Awards presenters pairs prominent figures from film, sport, and theatre with the four competitive designer categories.

Lupita Nyong’o will present American Womenswear Designer of the Year, while Matt Damon will present the menswear prize. Naomi Osaka will take the stage for American Accessory Designer of the Year, and Cole Escola will present the Google American Emerging Designer of the Year award. Each presenter will be joined by a designer on stage.

Further presenters for the honorary awards have yet to be announced, leaving more names to come before the ceremony.

Keke Palmer takes the host role

Keke Palmer will lead the evening as host of the CFDA Fashion Awards 2026, bringing together her background across acting, television, music, producing and entrepreneurship with a well-established interest in fashion.

Palmer has described fashion as a way of telling a story before speaking, making her a fitting choice for a ceremony built around the designers and creatives shaping contemporary style. CFDA President and CEO Steven Kolb has also highlighted her combination of style, humour, and authenticity ahead of the November event.

What the 2026 CFDA Awards say about American fashion

Unlike an awards show decided by a public vote, the CFDA winners are selected by the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild. The invitation-only voting body includes designers, editors, journalists, retail executives, stylists, influencers, and other fashion professionals.

That peer-led process keeps designers at the centre of the event. The nominees range from globally established names such as Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors to newer labels including Juju Vera, Aubero, and Lii, allowing the ceremony to reflect different generations of American creativity rather than focusing solely on celebrity visibility.

There is also a deliberate focus on what comes next. The 2026 event coincides with the 30th anniversary of the CFDA Scholarship Fund, while WYouth and Nuuly will host a Student Viewing Section welcoming current CFDA scholars and fashion students into the ceremony.

Experience the CFDA Fashion Awards 2026 with MA Hospitality Group

From established designers and rising talent to leading figures from entertainment and culture, the CFDA Fashion Awards 2026 will bring together many of the names influencing American fashion today while celebrating those helping shape its future.

MA Hospitality Group has experience assisting private clients around leading fashion, entertainment, awards, and cultural events. Our team can support premium event access enquiries, alongside luxury accommodation, private chauffeur services, dining reservations and personalised New York travel arrangements.

Get in touch with us to plan your CFDA Fashion Awards 2026 experience.

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