A GLITTERING TURNOUT FOR NEW YORKS FASHION OSCARS

June 4, 2002Jun 4, 2002, 11:00 PM GMT+1

It may have been slimmed down from 1,000 guests to 400, but Monday's annual Council of Fashion Designers of America awards – the Oscars of the fashion world – had lost none of their usual glamour and glitz. Top names, both international and American, were out in force on the night, with winners picking up their gongs from high-profile presenters.

Marc Jacobs claimed his Menswear Designer of the Year title from Die Hard actor Alan Rickman, while an ever-dapper David Bowie presented Dior Homme’s Hedi Slimane with her International award.

Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs were pipped to the post for the Womenswear Designer of the Year award by Narcisco Rodriguez, the man behind the late Carolyn Bessette’s wedding dress. "Getting this award makes me think about my life, my career, and how lucky I am and how grateful I am to be able to do the thing I love most," said Narcisco.

The Accessory Designer of the Year award went to Tom Ford at Yves Saint Laurent, while German fashion veteran Karl Lagerfeld and US Vogue magazine’s Grace Coddington, a Brit, both received Lifetime Achievement awards.

Also picking up trophies were up-and-comer Rick Owen, who garnered the Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent and Winston Churchill’s god-daughter, the American socialite CZ Guest – recognised in 1962 by Time magazine as the greatest beauty of the age – awarded the newly created Fashion Icon award. Bazaar’s creative director Stephen Gan was honoured with the Creative Visionary Award.

Adding further gloss to an already glittering evening were guests Hilary Swank, Penelope Cruz, Christina Ricci, Milla Jovovich and Alicia Silverstone. Also on hand were Lauren Hutton and Hillary Clinton, who turned up with Oscar de la Renta.

Despite the organisers efforts to crop the lengthy ceremony, which this year moved to New York’s public library, the gala still ran a good five hours from opening champagne to final applause. That didn’t stop a select few from continuing the party afterwards, however.

Karl Lagerfeld, Hedi Slimane and Stephen Gan hosted a bash at downtown joint Fun, where Linda Evangelista spun the discs, Suzy Menkes took party pix and all three hosts filled the roles of bartenders to raise money for charity.

David Bowie, pictured here with his glamorous wife Iman, was on stage to present Dior Homme's Hedi Slimane with the International award

Fashion veteran Karl Lagerfeld, who received a Lifetime Achievement trophy on the night, later co-hosted a star-studded party at New York's Fun club where he took on the role of bartender to benefit a local charity

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