Raf Simons Seals His Status as an American Fashion Icon

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Last night, Raf Simons was the recipient of a major honor that sealed his new status as an American fashion designer. At yesterday’s CFDA awards in New York, Simons was presented with both the Menswear Designer of the Year Award, as well as the top accolade for women’s wear. The honor comes less than a year after it was announced he would take the helm at Calvin Klein.

Simons presented his first collection for the house this past February, which was widely praised for it’s dystopian take on Americana. The 49-year-old was born in Belgium and, with the election of Donald Trump, the ascension of an immigrant designer to lead America’s most iconic fashion house could not have been more perfectly timed.

The only other time a designer has taken home the top awards for both women’s and menswear on the same night was Calvin Klein in 1993. The significance of the moment was not lost on Raf, who said the following in his acceptance speech: “If we as creatives can be an inspiration for how the world should look, I think that it’s something we should take as a very important task in our existence.”

Other big winners from the night included Demna Gvasalia, who took home the International Award. Rick Owens received a Lifetime Achievement Award and Stuart Vevers came out top in the accessories category for his work at Coach. Makeup artist, Pat McGrath received the Founder’s Award and Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia’s label Monse was recognized as the most exciting emerging talent in America.

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