CFDA announces 2016 Nominees and Honourees

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, CFDA, has announced its 2016 nominees and honourees.

The prestigious award ceremony, which is scheduled to be held in June in New York, will see fashion luminaries such as Marc Jacobs and The Row compete for Womenswear Designer of the Year and Thom Browne and Tim Coppens in the running for the Menswear category.

Other recognition category awards will be given to Accessories Designer of the Year, the Swarovski Awards for men's, women's and accessories, as well as the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.

Honourees this year include the formidable Donna Karan who will receive the The Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert. Gucci's Artistic Director Alessandro Michele is to receive the International Award and the Board of Directors’ Tribute Award will be a posthumous recognition of David Bowie, how died in January of this year.

The mission for the CFDA isn't far off from the BFC's mission for the UK's fashion industry and aims to strengthen the influence and success of American fashion designers in the global economy.

As a non-for-profit organisation the CFDA's membership consists of more than 470 of America’s womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessories designers. It's Foundation is a separate entity, which was created to raise funds for charity and industry activities.

The full list of the CFDA Awards 2016 is below:

Womenswear Designer of the Year

Marc Jacobs Proenza Schouler: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez Altuzarra: Joseph Altuzarra Rodarte: Kate and Laura Mulleavy The Row: Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen

Menswear Designer of the Year

Thom Browne Public School: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne Rag & Bone: David Neville and Marcus Wainwright Todd Snyder Tim Coppens

Accessories Designer of the Year

Irene Neuwirth The Row: Ashley Olsen & Mary-Kate Olsen Altuzarra: Joseph Altuzarra Mansur Gavriel: Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel Proenza Schouler: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez

Swarovski Award for Womenswear

Monse: Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia Brandon Maxwell Ryan Roche

Swarovski Award for Menswear

Orley: Alex Orley, Matthew Orley, Samantha Orley John Elliott Gypsy Sport: Rio Uribe

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design

Brother Vellies: Aurora James Paul Andrew Gigi Burris

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award

Norma Kamali

The Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard

Imran Amed, editor in chief of The Business of Fashion

The Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert

Donna Karan

International Award

Gucci: Alessandro Michele

Board of Directors’ Tribute Award

David Bowie

Image:CFDA Award Winners 2015