It's that time of year when the the fashion industry insiders will gather for the 2012 CFDA Fashion Awards, which will take place Monday, June 4 at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Swarvoski will once again serve as title sponsor for this swanky annual fashion event, which recognizes the outstanding contributions made to American fashion by individuals from all areas of the industry and related arts. Awards are given for design excellence in womenswear, menswear and accessories as well as extraordinary accomplishments in journalism, creative vision and lifetime achievement.
Nominations for each award category are submitted by the CFDA Fashion Awards Selection Committee, made up of the 400+ members of the CFDA, along with top fashion retailers, journalists, and stylists. The nominees, as well as recipients of the honorary awards are ratified by the CFDA Board of Directors.
The selection of nominees and winners in the Womenswear, Menswear, Accessory, and Swarovski Award categories is based on a plurality vote by the Selection Committee. All nominations are ratified by the CFDA Board of Directors at a special Board of Directors meeting. At this meeting the Board may also choose to honor one person with their Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award. The nominees and honorees are announced the following day.
One of the most coveted award is the Founder's Award which is given in memory of the CFDA’s founder Eleanor Lambert, awarded to a person who has made a unique contribution to the world of fashion (and/or deserves the industry’s recognition and does not fall under any existing award categories).
This year's award goes to fashion icon Andrew Rosen. Rosen is the third generation in his family to become a leader in the fashion industry. His grandfather, Arthur Rosen founded women’s clothing company Puritan Fashions in 1910 in Boston, MA. His father, Carl Rosen, built Puritan Fashions into one of the most prominent apparel companies of its time. He was an innovator in all aspects of the industry, and was one of the first to develop modern licensing, creating licenses with such names as Gloria Swanson, Mary Quant, Chris Evert, Diane Von Furstenberg, and ultimately Calvin Klein Jeans.
Andrew Rosen began his career at Puritan Fashions in 1977, and went on to become President and CEO in 1983. Puritan was acquired by Calvin Klein and Barry Schwartz in 1984, and Andrew continued working closely with them until 1989. He then served as President and CEO of Anne Klein until 1995, where he repositioned and re – engineered the entire company, as well as introduced the A – Line brand.
In 1997, Andrew founded and created Theory, inspired by the new way modern women and men wanted to dress. Theory quickly became a marketplace phenomenon and led the explosion of contemporary fashion in America. In 2004, Theory was acquired by its Japanese licensee Link to then establish Link Theory Holdings. In March 2006, Andrew drove the Link Theory acquisition of Helmut Lang and hired design duo Nicole and Michael Colovos, who launched the first collection for the brand in Spring 2007. Under Andrew’s guidance, Helmut Lang has grown into a flourishing global business. In 2009, Fast Retailing, which had previously held a large stake in Link Theory bought the remainder. Andrew continues to lead the company as CEO of Theory and Helmut Lang.
In 2010, Andrew thought to seek out and appoint acclaimed, Belgian – born fashion designer Olivier Theyskens to create a collection called Theyskens’ Theory for Spring 2011. In October 2010, Theory formally announced Theyskens as Artistic Director of the entire brand. Andrew, as a visionary, continues to creatively adapt to the ever- changing ideals of the fashion industry and remains one of the highly influential leaders within the retail and fashion world.
As a visionary and mentor, Andrew has helped launch and is a partner with contemporary brands such as Rag & Bone, Alice & Olivia and Gryphon. In the summer of 2011, Andrew led a team of investors to the American luxury label Proenza Schouler, achieving another stake in a significant global fashion force. His commitment to mentor the future of American Fashion has been unprecedented. Andrew has endowed scholarships at New York City’s FIT and become an active supporter of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund.
Other notable awards are Designer of the Year awards, which features the Womenswear, Menswear, and Accessory Designer of the Year Awards. The Swarovski Awards is awarded to a designer working in America who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent for his or her womenswear, menswear or accessory design through his or her most recent Spring and Fall Collections.
The Swarovski Award was established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of designers. The designer selected in each category must have his or her business based primarily in America. Honoree Awards include the Media Award, given in honor of journalist Eugenia Sheppard, the Media Award is given to a writer, photographer, or editor who has used his or her craft to further the profession of fashion reporting and coverage, or to a creative director, fashion editor, stylist, or artist whose exceptional creativity has shaped fashion visually. The International Award goes to one designer (in womenswear, menswear or accessories) working outside of America who has made an outstanding creative contribution to the world of fashion.
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