“I’ve never considered Supreme to be a fashion company or myself a designer,” James Jebbia explained as he picked up his Menswear Designer of the Year award at the CFDAs last night, “but I appreciate your recognition for all we do.” Streetwear’s biggest beast has come a long way since Jebbia opened Supreme’s first store on Lafayette Street in 1994. From a cramped skateboarding shop on a forgotten corner of downtown Manhattan, Supreme has evolved into a world conquering luxury phenomenon. Once consumed by fanatics within the skate community, it’s now a full-blown global sensation that is followed by everyone from Thursday-drop hypebeasts to your favourite designers. Fashion with a capital F has long been watching Supreme’s rise and last night made the love official as Jebbia beat Raf Simons for Calvin Klein, Virgil Abloh for Off-White, Thom Browne and Tom Ford to the prize.
Of course, there’s been Supreme’s coveted collaboration with Louis Vuitton men’s, its recent $1m dollar auction moment and its billion dollar brand valuation, but the CFDA Award should put the “is streetwear fashion?” debate to bed. James Jebbia himself might not consider Supreme a fashion company, or himself a designer, but Supreme has been redefining what those terms mean throughout its history. In 2018, streetwear is fashion, fashion is streetwear. Now, can we stop using obsolete definitions as the long blurred boundaries are dissapearing?
Beyond the seismic shift of the Supreme win, the CFDA Awards celebrated a number of familiar names as Raf Simons for Calvin Klein was deservedly awarded Womenswear Designer of the Year (for the second time), Ralph Lauren was given a Members Salute, i-D family member and current British Vogue editor Edward Enninful walked away with the Media Award (look back to his best i-D work here), icon of icons Naomi Campbell was given the Fashion Icon Award (toast the Queen by exploring her i-D archive here), the Olsen twins crowned Accessory Designer of the Year and Sies Marjan’s Sander Lak left with the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent.
Elsewhere, we knew a certain Kim Kardashian would sashay away with the inaugural Influencer Award.“Fashion Insiders” might have mocked this award but who else other than the 112m-and-rising Instagram followed Keeping Up With the Kardashians star could win? From unveiling Yeezy product to pushing diet shakes or teaching us to take the ultimate selfie, she’s the product-pushing pop culture phenomenon of modern times. Picking up the award she joked that she was “shocked to be winning a fashion award when I’m naked most of the time.” While Kim K had the last laugh, the night belonged to Supreme.
The full list of CFDA 2018 winners are below:
Swarovski Award for Positive Change
Diane von Furstenberg
Members Salute
Ralph Lauren
Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award
Narciso Rodriguez
Founder’s Award
Carolina Herrera
International Award
Donatella Versace
Media Award
Edward Enninful
Fashion Icon Award
Naomi Campbell
Influencer Award
Kim Kardashian
Accessory Designer of the Year
Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, The Row
Menswear Designer of the Year
Supreme
Womenswear Designer of the Year
Raf Simons, Calvin Klein
Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent
Sander Lak, Sies Marjan