Ralph Lauren has added another milestone to his illustrious fashion career, becoming the most decorated designer in the history of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) after winning the American Menswear Designer of the Year award at the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards. The ceremony, held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on November 2, celebrated some of the biggest names in American and international fashion.
Presented by actor Matt Damon, the award marked Lauren’s third win in the menswear category, having previously received the honour in 1996 and 2007. At 86, the fashion veteran continues to prove that his influence on American style is far from fading.
This latest recognition takes his career tally to 12 CFDA awards, making him the most decorated designer in the organisation’s history, ahead of Marc Jacobs. His impressive collection of honours includes awards for both menswear and womenswear, a Lifetime Achievement Award, the Fashion Legend Award and the CFDA Members Salute. He also won the American Womenswear Designer of the Year award last year, his second time receiving the title.
Lauren was nominated alongside Thom Browne, Todd Snyder, Willy Chavarria and Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School New York.
While Lauren dominated the headlines, the evening also celebrated several other creative forces shaping the fashion industry. Rachel Scott of Diotima took home the American Womenswear Designer of the Year award, marking her second win in the category and her third CFDA honour. The designer, who also leads Proenza Schouler, was recognised for her distinctive approach to contemporary womenswear.
Ana Khouri was named American Accessories Designer of the Year, while Colleen Allen received the Google Shopping American Emerging Designer of the Year award. Allen, known for her unconventional take on Victorian-inspired dressing, was among the night’s emerging talents.
Vaccarello with his muses
On the international front, Anthony Vaccarello received the International Designer of the Year award for his work at Saint Laurent. Interestingly, the recognition came shortly after the announcement of his departure from the French fashion house. He accepted the award alongside three of his fashion muses, Zoë Kravitz, Hailey Bieber and Rosé, who wore looks from his September farewell collection.
The other notable winners included Peter Marino, who received the Fashion Icon Award, Tory Burch, who was honoured with the Positive Change Award, and Gap Inc., which took home the Innovation Award. Eva Chen received the Media Award in honour of Eugenia Sheppard, Linda Fargo was presented with the Founder’s Award in honour of Eleanor Lambert, and photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin received the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hosted by Keke Palmer, the ceremony also marked the 30th anniversary of the CFDA Scholarship Fund, with the organisation announcing a new scholarship initiative set to launch in 2027.
