Congratulations to Thom Browne for taking home top honors in the Menswear category at Monday night’s CFDA Awards.
If you’re curious what that means, the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) puts on what basically translates to the Oscars of the fashion world each year. As for the winner (seen above in a fittingly subversive twist on black tie): After famously reviving the menswear industry’s interest in slim tailoring a few years back, Thom Browne has persistently pushed the boundaries of what constitutes a ‘fashion show’ to the limits of absurdity (note his Punks vs. Jocks and Preps from Space -themed shows as examples) while somehow maintaining a somber atmosphere that implies what’s on view is nothing short of art.
A snapshot of Browne’s Fall ’13 Amish cloaks, pixelated for the business park, popped up in the CFDA’s #cfdaawards Instagram feed—as did hundreds of shots of dapperly dressed designers and drop-dead-gorgeous actresses and models. Here are the highlights:
L: Prepping the red carpet.
R: Michael Bastian, 2011 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, with Todd Snyder,
nominated for this year’s Swarovski Award for Menswear.
Legendary supermodel Linda Evangelista with future hall-of-famer Karolina Kurkova.
L: Billy Reid, last year’s CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year.
R: The crowded venue at NYC’s Lincoln Center.
House of Harlow 1960 designer Nicole Richie and Australian model Jessica Hart.
L: The good stuff. | R: Model Frida Gustavsson and BLK DNM designer Johan Lindeberg.
Actress Sofia Vergara. (The new Peg Bundy?)
L: Public School designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-yi Chow, winners of this year’s
Swarovski Award for rising stars in Menswear.
R: Alexander Wang and friends on the steps outside.
Michael Kors with a model on each arm. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
L: Mood lighting at the after-party.
R: Womenswear winners Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler…
who appear to have a firm grasp on menswear, too.
Actress, award presenter, and Bridesmaid Rose Byrne—getting photo-bombed.
L: CFDA International Award winner Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy with actress Jessica Chastain.
(How hardcore was she in Zero Dark Thirty?)
R: One of our favorites (and definitely the funniest) from the female blogosphere,
Man Repeller Leandra Medine is a certified CFDA superstar.
End on a High Note: In the clip above, an army of male models awkwardly a capellas Daft Punk x Pharrell disco jam ‘Get Lucky,’ all while wearing the Fall ’13 collections by all three CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year nominees—and somehow keeping a straight face.
Crashing a black-tie bash of your own sometime soon?
SHOP: TUXEDOS & FORMALWEAR
[Instagram photos via CFDA.com; click here for individual credits and tons more photos. Video via KCD. Individuals pictured do not endorse Nordstrom.]
Kristina Zias is a menswear expert at our Grove store in LA. You’ve seen her discuss (and model) men’s 
“Menswear designers seriously stepped up their polo-shirt game this season. With trends like zippered collars, longer button plackets, and unlimited color choices, the polo is your go-to for elevating casual weekend wear. And, if the lady in your life is a tomboy at heart like me, you might catch her nabbing your new polo faster than you can say ‘Hey, that’s mine!’”
Click For More: Actresses, Alexander Wang, billy reid, BLK DNM, CFDA, CFDA Awards, Daft Punk, designer collections, Get Lucky, Johan Lindeberg, Karolina Kurkova, Leandra Medine, Linda Evangelista, Man Repeller, Michael Bastian, Michael Kors, Models, Nicole Richie, Pharrell Williams, Player Hating, Red Carpet, Riccardo Tisci, Sofia Vergara, Style Icons, Thom Browne, Todd Snyder, Women, Zero Dark Thirty