The phrase “icon” is arguably overused as of late, however relating to bridging the worlds of sports activities and vogue, tennis legend Serena Williams has earned her accolades. The serial Grand Slam champion has lengthy been a vogue lover, bringing spicy (and sometimes controversial) ensembles to courts worldwide in addition to launching her personal label, S by Serena. On Monday evening, her game-changing affect was acknowledged by the Council of Trend Designers of America as Williams was honored because the CFDA’s 2023 Trend Icon.
The CFDA’s new chairman, Thom Browne, dressed Williams for this 12 months’s CFDA Awards, outfitting her in a curve-hugging, black sequined robe with a striped ribbon-corsetted again, paired with jewels from David Yurman and a coordinating balloon-sleeved cloak. On the step-and-repeat at New York Metropolis’s Museum of Pure Historical past, Williams joined fellow celebs Mary J. Blige, Quinta Brunson, LaKeith Stanfield, and lots of the vogue business’s best for what many have dubbed the “Oscars of Trend,” sponsored by Amazon Trend for the second 12 months in a row.
Amongst this 12 months’s nominees, there have been solely three Black designers — Christopher John Rogers (2021 American Womenswear Designer of the 12 months), Raul Lopez of Luar (2022 American Accent Designer of the 12 months), and Brandon Blackwood (2022 nominee for American Accent Designer of the 12 months) — none of whom walked away with awards this 12 months. However, there was one massive win: Jamaican-born designer Rachel Scott, designer of Diotima and runner-up for this 12 months’s CFDA/Vogue Trend Fund Award, took dwelling the Store With Google American Rising Designer of the 12 months award, a hopeful nod to what’s subsequent for an business that has remained sluggish to acknowledge and assist Black feminine designers. With recognition for Williams and Scott in addition to earlier CFDA nominee Aurora James, supermodel turned sustainable vogue entrepreneur Liya Kebede (Lemlem), Studio 189 co-founders Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah, and CFDA President CaSandra Diggs available Monday evening, that tide is hopefully turning.
Then, there have been the developments, a must-see for any fashion-fueled occasion. Whereas Spring-Summer season 2024 collections not too long ago took their stroll down the runways throughout Fall Trend Month, a number of developments additionally emerged on the 2023 CFDA Awards purple carpet, together with a heavy emphasis on suit-inspired eveningwear, black-and-white palettes, outsized floral particulars, reconstructed denim and deconstructed knitwear, and assertion purses — in feathered, beaded, and miniature variations — worn by all genders. Who wore it finest? Try our 2023 CFDA Awards gallery beneath.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Serena Williams, Trend Icon Award winner
Serena Williams, Trend Icon Award winner, attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Mary J. Blige in Christian Siriano
Mary J. Blige attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Lori Harvey
Lori Harvey attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Ariana DeBose in Jason Wu
Ariana DeBose attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Quinta Brunson in Tanya Taylor
Quinta Brunson attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Teyana Taylor in Christopher John Rogers
Teyana Taylor attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Rosario Dawson in Mara Hoffman
Rosario Dawson attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Regulation Roach in Luar
Regulation Roach attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Bethann Hardison in Gucci
Bethann Hardison attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
La La Anthony
La La Anthony attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Ayo Edebiri
Ayo Edebiri attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
LaKeith Stanfield
LaKeith Stanfield attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Ziwe
Ziwe attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Saweetie in Cult Gaia
Saweetie attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Ayesha Curry in Diotima and Aurora James
(Left to proper) Ayesha Curry and Aurora James attend the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Alton Mason
Alton Mason attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Paloma Elsesser
Paloma Elsesser attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Pat Cleveland in Christopher John Rogers
Pat Cleveland attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Jordyn Woods
Jordyn Woods attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Hiandra Martinez
Hiandra Martinez attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Stephen Burrows and CaSandra Diggs
(Left to proper) Stephen Burrows and CaSandra Diggs attend the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Lindsay Peoples
Lindsay Peoples attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Sergio Hudson
Sergio Hudson attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Raul Lopez
Raul Lopez attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
June Ambrose
June Ambrose attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Richie Shazam
Richie Shazam attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
LaKeith Stanfield and Rosario Dawson
LaKeith Stanfield and Rosario Dawson attend the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Tyler Mitchell
Tyler Mitchell attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Winnie Harlow in Marc Jacobs
Winnie Harlow attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Rauw Alejandro
Rauw Alejandro attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Jeremy O. Harris
Jeremy O. Harris attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
LaQuan Smith
LaQuan Smith attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
June Ambrose
June Ambrose attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Liya Kebede
Liya Kebede attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Westside Gunn
Westside Gunn attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Lil Yachty
Lil Yachty attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah
(Left to proper) Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah attend the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Tokischa in Willy Chavarria
Tokischa attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Maxwell Osborne
Maxwell Osborne attends the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs)
Azeeza Khan, CaSandra Diggs, and Jordyn Woods
(Left to proper) Azeeza Khan, CaSandra Diggs, and Jordyn Woods attend the 2023 CFDA Trend Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs)
Christopher John Rogers
Christopher John Rogers attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Knowledge Kaye
Knowledge Kaye attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Sophie Wilde
Sophie Wilde attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Aleali Might
Aleali Might attends the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Kai Newman and Rachel Scott in Diotima
(Left to proper) Kai Newman and designer Rachel Scott attend the 2023 CFDA Awards on the American Museum of Pure Historical past on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York Metropolis. (Photograph by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
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