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| Fashion designer Vera Wang waves as she arrives
on the red carpet for the 76th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak
Theatre in Hollywood, February 29, 2004.
（Reuters） |
Stars of stage, screen and music have worn Vera
Wang's gowns to accept top awards for years, but Wang picked up her first
trophy as the year's top womenswear designer Monday night.
"I'm
really incredibly honored," Wang said. "Even at my age dreams in life can
really come true."
The Council of Fashion Designers of America also selected John Varvatos
as the best menswear designer.
Supermodel Kate Moss received an award for her fashion influence,
following in the stiletto steps of previous winners Sarah Jessica Parker
and Nicole Kidman. She wore a nude-colored strapless corset dress with a black lace
overlay as she accepted her award from David Bowie.
"She dresses in a way that means something. What Kate wears, others
wear. And it's really Kate choosing it, not a stylist," Peter Arnold, the
CFDA's executive director, said before the award show began at a black-tie gala at the New York
Public Library.
Moss is probably best known for her super-slim figure, but she's also
credited with popularizing the now ubiquitous Ugg Australia boots and the
much coveted Balenciaga handbag. She's modeled for many of the top fashion
houses, including Chanel and Burberry.
Diane von Furstenberg wore one of her signature wrap dresses as she was
honored for her three decades in the fashion business. "I feel very nice
about my peers honoring me," von Furstenberg told The Associated Press.
"You compete with each other but we're also colleagues. We help each other
and we cheer each other."
Lubov Azria, who shares design duties with her husband Max on the ready-to-wear line BCBG and their
couture collection Max Azria Atelier, said her pleated sea green gown was
a collaboration. "We ask what do we need to do to make this dress really
special, and we go from there," she said.
The Azrias also custom designed the chocolate brown gown with silver
beads that actress Sarah Michelle Gellar wore. It complemented her new
brown hair.
"The dress matches me," Gellar said. "My husband had friends over when
I was trying it on and I didn't want to take it off. I started cleaning up
glasses wearing it."
Other winners at the 24th annual awards included Elle publication
director Gilles Bensimon for "shaping" fashion visually and Lanvin
designer Alber Elbaz, who was given the International Award for making an
outstanding creative contribution to the world of fashion. Norma Kamali,
who said she was fully to blame for the shoulder-pad craze of the late 1970s,
received a special tribute from the CFDA's board of directors.
Winners are selected by more than 450
fashion designers, press, retailers and stylists.
(yahoo) | 
Updated: 2005-06-07 10:24
