The ’13 CFDA Nominations Are In & They May (Or May Not) Surprise You

Start placing those bets, ladies and gents. Awards season may be over in Hollywood, but in the fashion world, things are just starting to get interesting, as the nominations were announced for the '13 CFDA Fashion Awards last night. And while we were not completely surprised with the lineup of talent, we are still super excited to see how the competition fares. Megastars such as Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang for womenswear and Thom Browne for menswear all earned accolades for their namesake brands, and the Swarovski Award nominees also recognized some of our favorite designers, including Pamela Love for accessories, Tim Coppens for menswear, and womenswear nominations for Suno, Creatures of the Wind, and Cushnie et Ochs — talk about stiff competition.

While the June 3 awards will prove to be a beautiful celebration of innovative designers who have helped shaped the fashion industry as it stands today, we have to admit that we see nothing but winners on the list. Wang, Jacobs, Proenza — these names come with reputations that precede them. And when it comes to the Swarovski womenswear noms, we think that they really nailed it this year with designers who continue to wow us in their own special way.

However, in the spirit of acknowledging designers who have had a particularly exceptional year, we can't help but think of a few additional names that we would have loved to see on the list. Derek Lam, a Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund winner and '07 accessories winner, was one of the brightest stars this year, with his main label and diffusion line, 10 Crosby. In addition, Amy Smilovic of Tibi has also been one of 2013's fashion MVPs, consistently exciting us in womenswear and accessories and helping redefine the modern woman's everyday wardrobe with chic, cool, borrowed-from-the-boys appeal. Perhaps these may be a bit more unexpected, but who doesn't love a curveball? Check out the complete lineup of '13 nominees below and let us know in the comments who you're rooting for...and maybe even who you who think is missing from the list. (Press Release)