Kim Kardashian was honoured at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Awards on Monday for her shapewear collection, and she used the opportunity to encourage designers to be inclusive of all body types.
Amazon Fashion presented Kardashian with the inaugural Innovation Award for her shapewear brand SKIMS. In addition to Kardashian, co-founder and CEO Jens Grede and founding partner and chief product officer Emma Grede received the inaugural award.
Monday evening saw the fashion industry’s equivalent of the Oscars, hosted by actress Natasha Lyonne and CFDA members and designers Joseph Altuzarra, Gabriela Hearst, Aurora James, Lazaro Hernandez, and Jack McCollough. The evening commemorated sixty years of the fashion organisation and the history of American fashion.
Martha Stewart presented the award to Kardashian, who was forced to make a quick announcement just before she began speaking because her phone rang. “Mom, turn off your phone,” Kardashian said to Jenner as the audience laughed.
Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Kris Jenner all attended the ceremony to witness their sister accept her award.
This year, Law Roach was presented with a new stylistic achievement award.
“Once upon a time, on the south side of Chicago was born a queen. Kerry Washington recreated the narrative of Roach’s early life, describing her as “a queen who was a fearsome force for good and beauty, and who revolutionised the landscape of fashion just by being herself.”
He told the audience that he was Zendaya’s stylist in 2016 when he saw the CFDA Awards from behind the scenes.
“As I saw the waiters serving your meal from the kitchen, I thought to myself, ‘One day I’ll be on that stage.’ Roach said, “I am proof that anything and anything is possible.”
Lenny Kravitz was honoured with the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award on a night when other designers got awards and Bradley Cooper, Trevor Noah, and Christina Ricci were among the presenters.
Cooper said while presenting Kravitz that he is effortless, cool, eclectic, and fearless. Whatever it is, he has it. And there is no one more fashionable than you. No other living artist wears leather and leopard print like Lenny.”
“My mother’s closet served as my very own shop. In imitation of my idols from the Jackson Five, Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, David Bowie, and Miles Davis, I wore scarves, belts, platform boots, and boas,” Kravitz remarked, recalling his childhood in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The previous year, Zendaya was the youngest recipient of the Icon award. Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez were previous awardees.
Raul Lopez received the prize for accessories design, while Elena Velez received the award for American rising designer.
Catherine Holstein of KHAITE received the medal for womenswear designer, while Emily Adams Bode Aujla got the prize for male designer.
Virgil Abloh received the Board of Trustee’s Award in recognition of the late designer’s contributions to global fashion. His wife, Shannon Abloh, accepted the prize and said, ‘What he was able to do in his brief 41 years will continue to inspire us all for decades to come.’