The Fashion Oscars

Michael Bastian, Prabal Gurung and Proenza Schouler duo win big at 2011 CFDAAwards

Proenza Schouler duo Lazaro Hernandez, left, and Jack McCollough were namedwomenswear designers of the year at the CFDA Fashion Awards
After five years in the running, Michael Bastian took home the CFDA mensweardesigner of the year honor.
A look from Michael Bastian's fall collection for Gant
Prabal Gurung won the award for best new talent in womenswear design

While s ome members of the CultureMap staf f weren’t too thrilled about some of the honors being issued at Monday night's annual Council of Fashion Designer of America awards, I can genuinely say that I am.

Finally – after five years in the running – Michael Bastian won the Menswear Designer of the Year award. Bastian, who started his eponymous collection after a five-year stint as the men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman, is the only designer in CFDA history to have been nominated for an award every year since the inception of his brand.

In addition to his somewhat exclusive flagship label, Bastian has designed a capsule collection for Gant that includes both men’s and womenswear, in an effort to make his designs slightly more accessible. He’s known for putting contemporary twists on Ivy League sportswear, and producing luxurious garments that are impeccably tailored.

Don’t get me wrong: Patrick Ervell and Simon Spurr, the other two nominees for the menswear award, are both excellent designers in their own right. But for Bastian, this has been a long time coming.

Some winners, on the other hand, were slightly more surprising. I was almost positive that Alexander Wang would be taking home the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. As a designer, Wang could not be more relevant right now: his slouchy, masculine and always chic approach to womenswear seems to cause loyal twentysomethings to snatch up his pieces in droves.

Even CultureMap editor Clifford Pugh told me via e-mail that his money was on Wang, “unless they’re feeling nostalgic for Marc.”

Thus, I’m pretty shocked that the CFDA chose to give the award, once again; to 2007 winners Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for their senior Parson’s School of Design thesis turned luxury label Proenza Schouler.

Wang did not come empty handed, however: he won the Accessory Designer of the Year award.

The recipients of the Swarvoski awards for emerging designers were Robert Geller for menswear, Prabal Gurung for womenswear, and Eddie Borgo for accessories. Other honorees for the evening included Lady Gaga, who was given the Fashion Icon award, and Marc Jacobs, who received Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.

What do you think: did the best designers win?

Click here to see a Channel 13 photo gallery of Lady Gaga and other celebrities at the CFDA Awards

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FALL FÊTE

Texas luxury boutique collabs with Houston designer for new fashion brand

Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard

Saint Bernard teams up with Houston designer Lyndsey Zorich for Love Note.

River Oaks District boutique Saint Bernard is getting ready for fall with a new collection created with Houston style veteran Lyndsey Zorich. The fashion-forward retailer and the founder and designer of Mason's Daughter teamed up to launch Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich, a new Saint Bernard-owned brand.

Saint Bernard doesn't usually collaborate with local designers on its own brands, making this partnership with Zorich special. She was involved in everything from creative direction and textile development to fabrication and production. Shoppers can expect a feminine collection with a playful take on everyday dressing for women who want to look put together, but not too serious.

Love Note officially launches on Thursday, September 10 at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, as well as online. Customers will have to be patient, because another unique aspect of this collaboration is that the entire collection won’t debut at once. Instead, the brand will roll out in a series of monthly drops, each having its own seasonal point of view.

Saint Bernard x Lyndsey Zorich Love Note by Lyndsey Zorich is available at Saint Bernard stores in Houston, Dallas, Southlake, San Antonio, and Austin, plus online.Photo courtesy of Saint Bernard

The Kick Off is the first drop in September. It is a game day-inspired collection with pieces designed for fall sports and weekend road trips. In October, The Lean In will debut with more feminine silhouettes, followed by Getting Comfortable, which focuses on the perfect layering pieces for Texas’s warm fall weather.

A longtime Saint Bernard shopper herself, Zorich's unique style and Texas perspective gave her a greater understanding of what Texas customers want.

“Getting dressed has always been one of my favorite forms of self-expression, and Love Note allowed me to take that idea from concept all the way through the finished product,” said Zorich. "Saint Bernard felt like the right partner, because I genuinely understand and love their customers. Love Note is meant to bring a little more playfulness to getting dressed, pieces that feel personal, special, and bring joy to everyday life.”

That individual connection is what Saint Bernard wanted in this project. According to Ashleigh Goyer, director of owned brands for Saint Bernard, the store wanted a new way for Saint Bernard to give customers something both recognizable and unexpected.

"She shares her perspective, her lifestyle, and her love of fashion, and she has an incredible ability to make getting dressed feel effortless and personal," said Goyer.

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