Red Carpet Roundup: CFDAs 2013

Well done, pup.
It may not be awards show season, but thankfully there are still mostly pointless events going on to bring out the stars and pseudo-stars alike! The CFDAs, or Council of Fashion Designer Awards, are like the who's who of fashion. It awards established and up and comers across several categories, and offers a nice cash prize to the winners to keep their art going. It's a big deal for designers because the council is made up of designers, so it's a peer-chosen honor. Imagine if you were in lawn maintenance and Edward Scissorhands gave you a trophy!


So, as far as a full list of winners, let your fingers do the clicking, here. Phillip Lim, Proenza Schouler, and Suno were the biggies, and all very deserving if you ask me. But really, the biggest winner is you, because you get the abridged fashion diary of the evening right in front of you. Let's go!

First we have my favorites. Incredibly, they are all black...ish. If you know me well, you know I shy away from black. I'm so pale, it makes me look ghostly. And frankly, I'm just not cool enough to be an "all black" girl. It just doesn't suit me. Give me gray any day, but don't drown me in black. Amazingly, I have looked past my sartorial fear and let these beauties wow me. Let's face it, they are so fantastic, and not the least bit boring.

via The Cut








First we have Linda Fargo in what I can only guess is the super sexy Cushnie et Ochs. (They are known for their cut-outs. Let's give it to them.) Let me just frame this for you. Fargo is in her 50s. She looks better than my hottest 20-something friend. Let's also give it to her for being smoking hot and appropriately stylish in her golden years. Rue McClanahan would be so proud!

Next, the ubiquitous and inimitable Rooney Mara. I come in with a bit of a bias as I'm a huge "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" fan, but homegirl kills it with these unboring black sheaths. It's a Calvin Klein Collection dress, which is fitting as she's the face of their new Downtown fragrance. (Ugh, Photoshop gone wrong if you ask me. Leave her face alone - she's gorgeous enough as it is!)

Third, Ellie Kemper, AKA Erin from "The Office," is wearing Naeem Khan. It's gorgeous. It looks like gilded fireworks on a deep French sky. It's fun, but tame, the belt gives her shape, and the length keeps it from being dowdy. I love a dress with sleeves too - it forces you to be more creative, which is totally evident from that fun beading.

Last, we have the crushingly gorgeous Hilary Rhoda in Helmut Lang. I don't know what it is about this look, because I'm normally not wowed by black and white, but this killed it for me. Maybe it's the fact that a model/celebrity/model-celebrity hybrid is actually smiling like she's enjoying herself, but I'm pretty sure it's the precision-perfect cut and drape of this number. It's perfection. It's classic but quirky at the same time, and I totally love it with the severe hairdo and barely-there sandals. Great styling.


There were just SO MANY DUDS this year. It was really appalling. Picking my 3 least favorite was a chore, but I'd be remiss without showcasing them...

via The Cut
I know! I'm sorry. That had to be done. They are crimes so heinous they must be seen to be believed. I won't shame the designers by giving them away, but the perps must be called out: Elizabeth Olsen (in rhymes with "The Stow") and Mary-Kate Olsen in vintage (rhymes with Pissy Miyake). I'm sorry girls, but those ginormous bolts of fabric must be cut and sewn first before being worn. And Anna Wintour...tsk, tsk. I can only surmise that Queen Bee's collar-less jacket is Chanel. (Yawn.) But to pair that with a blue fur bow stole and my grandmother's cream canvas mules is NO EXCUSE. As the "most powerful woman in fashion," you should know better than to sailor up that otherwise cute skirt. And Brad Goreski. Ooh, you're mixing "prints" - how daring. The thing is, when the print is plaid and pastel, just don't. Plus, a wide legged, high-water trouser does not a good pant make. You're a stylist. You should know better than this. Quirky is one thing, but this is borderline clownish.
Don't worry, I'm not leaving you on that note. Please accept this palette cleanser as my humblest offering. Here we have the Honorable Mentions, which were just too memorable not to include:

via The Cut
Juliette Lewis, usually known for whackadoo style, turned up like quite the lady. The peachy color, the kicky silhouette and pairing it with those killer burgundy heels was quite a package. She looks stunning, and just a couple of degrees off enough to look like herself.
Julie Macklowe really brought her A game in that lavender ball gown skirt. Oh, and did I mention the BEJEWELED SHOULDERS!?! What a simple but elegant look. And did she not look like she had the most fun???
Zachary Quinto (in Todd Snyder), while not in a dress, still managed to catch my eye. (Those smoldering looks don't hurt either.) When everyone else is turning up in plain black (or gasp, PLAID suits), Spock shows up in my favorite neutral, gray. What a killer look, and still totally wearable by any guy out there. (It's all in the FIT, guys!) He looks dashing, and I for one thank you for upping the male ante.
Who wore your fave? Least fave? Anyone I left out on either front?
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