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Fashion statement

Some new names come up big winners at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 7, 2006

NEW YORK - They're not household names like Tommy, Donna and Ralph, but Francisco Costa, Thom Browne and Tom Binns are the top fashion designers of the year.

Costa was named womenswear designer of the year three years after taking over creative duties at a company with a household name: Calvin Klein. Costa replaced the company's namesake.

"If there's an American dream, this is it for me," said Costa, who grew up in Brazil's countryside.

At Monday's Council of Fashion Designers of America awards ceremony, Costa beat out perennial nominee Marc Jacobs, who won in 1997, and Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler, who were picked as the best up-and-coming designers three years ago.

Browne was selected over Cloak's Alexandre Plokhov and Ralph Lauren for menswear designer. Lauren was an inspiration to him, Browne told the crowd, which included Janet Jackson, Jessica Simpson, Chloe Sevigny, Sandra Oh, Sean "Diddy" Combs and top fashion designers Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg and Donna Karan.

Harry Connick Jr. gave Browne his trophy, putting on Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's signature sunglasses and holding her tiny handbag to prove his fashion credentials. (Also on Connick's fashion resume: He is married to model Jill Goodacre.)

The awards are the fashion industry equivalent of the Oscars. Jeremy Piven, star of HBO's Entourage, was the host of the 24th annual ceremony. He joked that his only qualification for being onstage was that he was "one haircut away from the Tom Ford story." (It's a fashion joke. Ford is a name in fashionista households.)

The fusion of fashion and Hollywood continued with Lindsay Lohan and Karl Lagerfeld presenting Binns with the award for accessory design. The jewelry designer was selected over Jacobs and Michael Kors by the council's membership, press, retailers and stylists who vote on the awards.

The rest of the awards went to a mix of industry icons, including photographer Bruce Weber, and the next generation of fashion stars. Doo-ri Chung won for emerging talent in womenswear, Devi Kroell for accessories and Jeff Halmos, Josia Lamberto-Egan, Sam Shipley and John Whitledge of Trovata for menswear.

"Wow, this started as a way for us to surf and travel as much as possible while making a living," the Trovata team said as it accepted its award from Alicia Keys and John Legend, who had just sung an a cappella version of Frank Sinatra's The Way You Look Tonight.

[Last modified June 7, 2006, 05:26:24]