Tabitha Simmons was named Accessories Designer of the Year at CFDA Awards tonight in New York City.
The famous footwear face and stylist was up against tough competition, including Alexander Wang, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row, Irene Neuwirth and the Proenza Schouler designers, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. But Simmons walked away with the coveted prize, announced tonight at the ceremony at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.
Simmons first launched her footwear collection six years ago. The designer has gathered a strong following of influencers along the way – Cara Delevingne and Alexa Chung are both well known fans of her brand.
Simmons is also a former winner, she received the Swarovski Award for Accessory Design at the CFDA’s in 2012.
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When CFDA CEO Steven Kolb announced the nominees, with Diane Von Furstenberg, he talked about Simmons and fellow footwear industry face, Paul Andrew: “Tabitha won the Swarovski award for Accessory a few years ago, and she was also a runner-up winner of the CFDA Fashion Fund. [Paul] won the CFDA Fashion Fund, and we’ll see if he is a winner of Swarovski. But I think that there’s an opportunity, and they both are capable of owning that, of being a luxury, strong shoe brand. Both of them have the opportunity to really seize that and be that next generation luxury American shoe brand.”
For more updates on the design star, check out FN’s recent cover story:
How Tabitha Simmons Juggles Growing Shoe Biz, Styling Gig
And for more CFDA:
Pharrell Williams Wins CFDA Fashion Icon Award
