CFDA Fashion Awards

I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t follow fashion– not in an active pursuit, anyway. I enjoy flipping through the glossies during my pedicure and I’ve always loved fashion photography, but most of my (limited) pool of knowledge over the past ten years can be attributed watching Sex and the City. I’ve had a bit of a crash course update over the past month however, working on projection graphics (by way of Batwin+Robin) for the CFDAs, which took place last night. It was a fantastic project to be a part of, particularly having such a huge canvas to work with. The whole set was filled with color, texture, text , photos and films.

From my seat in the balcony I managed some decent shots (considering I hadn’t brought a tripod with me), so here are some selects. These are really about the look of the show. If you’re interested in the celebs in their fashion, you can go here.

Tracey Ullman, host, welcomes the crowd to the CFDAs

Justin Timberlake presenting the Eleanor Lambert award

Kerry Washington, presenter for Accessory Designer of the Year

Stephen Kolb presented design scholarships

Ralph Lauren accepting the Popular Vote award

Jack White, introducing Anna Sui

Models showing off numerous Anna Sui creations in front of a Swarovski crystal curtain

Anna Sui accepting the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award

Jimmy Fallon, announcer for Menswear of the Year award

Marc Jacobs, winner of the International Award

Blake Lively dishes up the Swarovski Awards

Diane von Furstenberg with remarks and thank yous

Tribute to Michelle Obama

Womenswear Designer of the Year nominees

Diane Kruger, announcing the winner, with models showing off the nominees’ fashions

Womenswear winners, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte

Tracey bids good night

Walk-out photo montage as the silhouetted models exit the stage

The womenswear models were arrayed on the pyramidal steps out front; they had to stand and pose for a long time as people arrived.

The “red carpet” area, arrayed along 66th Street, for fancy arrivals and attendant photo sessions

Beautiful colors during a glittering rehearsal moment

Ben in the courtyard after the show where we sat and had champagne. He arrived appropriately decked out in an Italian suit, classic black and white.

I, on the other hand, was still in my jeans and hoodie (on account of not enough forsight to realize I wouldn’t have time to run home for a wardrobe change)! But there was something that apealed to my teen-aged punk rock sensibilities about mingling in that crowd so woefully underdressed (–and let’s face it, I would have been anyway, even had I brought my dress and makeup). The most fascinating aspect of the show, for me, was watching the whole venue, inside and out, transform over the course of a morning and afternoon– and the set had only just been built the night before. Really amazing. So much work for a party that couldn’t have lasted more than about four or five hours. I think there must have been as many of us working on the whole event as there were people in attendance.