CFDA Fashion Awards Set for Nov. 2: Chongqing-Born Zane Li Vies for Emerging Designer of the Year
The 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards, presented by Amazon Fashion, will take place on Monday, November 2, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, hosted by Keke Palmer. It is the fourth consecutive year that American fashion's biggest night is held at the museum. Among the nominees is Chongqing-born designer Zane Li, who is up for the Google American Emerging Designer of the Year award.
Li came to New York in 2019 and graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2023 before founding his label, Lii, in 2024, known for sporty materials, bold shapes and color. He is closing a remarkable year: in April he won the Fashion Trust US Ready-to-Wear Award; in September he received the Karl Lagerfeld Prize at the LVMH Prize in Paris; and on October 20 he won the 2026 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, taking home $300,000 and industry mentorship. A win on Monday would be his fourth major prize of the year.
According to the CFDA, presenters for the four competitive categories are set. Lupita Nyong'o will present American Womenswear Designer of the Year, whose nominees are Catherine Holstein for Khaite, Michael Kors, Rachel Scott for Diotima, Tory Burch and Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera. Matt Damon will present American Menswear Designer of the Year, with nominees Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School New York, Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Todd Snyder and Willy Chavarria. Naomi Osaka will present American Accessory Designer of the Year, contested by Ana Khouri, Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen for The Row, Raul Lopez for Luar, Sophie Buhai and Stuart Vevers for Coach. Cole Escola will present the emerging designer award, whose nominees are Colleen Allen, Emily Dawn Long, Julia Ferentinos for Juju Vera, Julian Louie for Aubero and Zane Li for Lii.
This year's honorees include Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent (International Designer of the Year), Tory Burch (Positive Change Award), photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin (Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award), Linda Fargo (Founder's Award), Eva Chen (Media Award), Susan Cianciolo (the Isabel Toledo Board of Directors' Tribute) and Gap Inc. (Innovation Award).
Winners in the four competitive categories are chosen by the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild, an invitation-only voting body; voting ran from October 5 to 23, with the results to be revealed on Monday night.
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Source: GSM · USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：本届CFDA时尚大奖举办地美国自然历史博物馆（纽约曼哈顿中央公园西大道一侧）。（图：Ingfbruno／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0）/ The American Museum of Natural History in New York, venue of this year's CFDA Fashion Awards. (Photo: Ingfbruno / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
