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CFDA names four category presenters as 2026 Fashion Awards voting begins
Lupita Nyong'o, Matt Damon, Naomi Osaka and Cole Escola have ceremony roles, while an invitation-only industry guild determines the competitive results.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America announced on October 5, 2026, that Lupita Nyong'o, Matt Damon, Naomi Osaka and Cole Escola will each present one of four American Designer of the Year awards. Keke Palmer is set to host the November 2 ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History.
The voting window runs from October 5 through October 23, 2026. Decisions in womenswear, menswear, accessory design and emerging design are made by the CFDA Fashion Awards Guild, an invitation-only group of influential fashion-industry members.
Four presenters, four competitive fields
The announced assignments and nominee fields are:
- For American Womenswear Designer of the Year, Lupita Nyong'o is the presenter. The field consists of Tory Burch; Rachel Scott representing Diotima; Michael Kors; Wes Gordon representing Carolina Herrera; and Catherine Holstein representing Khaite.
- Matt Damon is assigned to American Menswear Designer of the Year. Competing are Willy Chavarria, Todd Snyder, Thom Browne, Ralph Lauren, and the Public School New York team of Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne.
- American Accessory Designer of the Year will be presented by Naomi Osaka. The nominees are Stuart Vevers representing Coach, Sophie Buhai, Raul Lopez representing Luar, Ana Khouri, and Mary-Kate Olsen with Ashley Olsen representing The Row.
- Cole Escola is the presenter for Google American Emerging Designer of the Year. Zane Li representing Lii, Julian Louie representing Aubero, Julia Ferentinos representing Juju Vera, Emily Dawn Long and Colleen Allen make up the field.
The CFDA says every presenter will share the stage with a designer. It has not yet identified the additional presenters for the honoree categories.
Amazon Fashion is the presenting partner. Google Shopping supports the emerging-designer award, M·A·C Cosmetics is the official beauty partner and Krug is the official champagne partner. WYouth and Nuuly will present a student viewing section for current CFDA scholars and fashion students.
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