CFDA Awards 2009: winners and who wowed on the red carpet

Leading American designers and their most famous supporters flocked to New York's Lincoln Centre last night for the biggest night in their fashion calendar: the CFDAs, otherwise known as the fashion Oscars. Nerves were running high beforehand. One woman admitted crash-dieting to fit into her dress. The Rodarte sisters, who were nominated for Womenswear Designer of the Year, had spent all afternoon watching the movie Midnight Cowboy to calm themselves down. And even super-cool Agyness Deyn stopped for a pre-awards ceremony cigarette before walking the, er, beige carpet. Only Alexander Wang was calm, telling reporters he was ‘not nervous at all' and totally ‘forgot it was the CFDAs' when he woke up. The young designer took to the slightly soggy beige carpet with model Drew Hemingway, who was wearing one of his designs. And he wasn't the only designer to score big-name support: Blake Lively and Coco Rocha wore Michael Kors, Rachel Zoe opted for Louis Vuitton in support of her long-time friend Marc Jacobs, and model Doutzen Kroes seemed to have had a brilliant time getting glammed up by Zac Posen.

And then the awards began. A joke about the controversial Kiefer Sutherland/Proenza Schouler ‘headbutting' incident that happened at the Met Ball earlier this year kicked off proceedings. But though that was met with 'weak laughter', the rest of the night hotted up. Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte picked up the Womenswear Designer of the Year award and were so excited they called their mum immediately afterwards. ‘She said she knew we would win. But she also thinks she's psychic.' Their supporter for the night, Kirsten Dunst, was overexcited too. Backstage she pretended her clutch was a microphone and kept announcing the Rodarte girls victory over and over! Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders and Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein Collection tied for the Menswear Designer of the Year Award, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler won Accessory Designer of the Year. The Swarovski awards for emerging talent, meanwhile, went to Alexander Wang for Womenswear, and Anna Sui was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Newly engaged Marc Jacobs picked up the International Award for his work at Louis Vuitton – which no doubt he'll be adding to the fireplace he's just purchased for his new vacation home. Ralph Lauren scooped the first ever Popular Vote Award and Michelle Obama accepted her special tribute award via video link from the White House.

And the night didn't end there. After-parties sprung up all over New York. Models Agyness Deyn and Sasha Pivovarova supported Anna Sui, Demi Moore's daughters danced with Daphne Guinness at Calvin Klein's, and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld languished on the sofas of a New York hotel with Thakoon and the Proenza Schouler boys until the early hours of this morning. Something tells us there won't be much work going on in the American fashion industry this morning...

Check out who wore what below, and click here for our CFDA Awards Fashion Jury Special!