Fashion has long been a boys’ club. A gay boy’s club, mostly. Of course, there are the Coco Chanels, Miuccia Pradas, Diane von Furstenbergs, Elsa Schiaparellis and so on and so fierce. But from the heady days of the Belle Epoque and Charles Frederick Worth to the sculptural designs of Cristobal Balenciaga in the early half of the 20th century, the post-war New Look of Christian Dior and the modern masculin/feminin edge of Yves Saint Laurent (above), there have been a fair share of dudes dictating the way men and women dress over the ages.
Tonight’s Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards is a decidedly testosterone-filled affair, peppered gingerly with designer fragrances. Though not quite as glamorous as the Met Ball, the CFDA Awards are like the Oscars of the fashion world. Just think of Marc Jacobs as Meryl Streep and you’ll get the gist of it. Let’s storm the catwalk for a look at Jacobs and some of the other gentlefellows vying for fashion’s top honor.