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Even the muggy downpour couldn't keep the fashion set from making the downtown trek from the CFDA Fashion Awards at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to the after-party at the Top of the Standard, co-hosted by Refinery29. Filtering in was a multigenerational set of talents—and previous CFDA Award winners—ranging from Diane von Furstenberg to Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler and their guest, Grimes, to Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung. Alexander Wang arrived flanked by models Hanne Gaby Odiele in Esteban Cortazar and Tilda Lindstam in Rachel Roy. But it was Anna Ewers who brought Wang's golden-boy reputation to new, literal heights, sauntering in wearing a thigh-skimming dress created from American Express credit cards that the designer custom made for her. A table over was January Jones, who sipped a beer while chatting with Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson, and close by was Juliette Lewis in a white gown with a feathered train by Christian Siriano. "The videos they did were really great. I always look at production and music, and they did a really good job," said Lewis. "There was Mickey [Drexler], the legend. I was schooled by him about life lessons and longevity!"
But there was one icon who guests could not stop talking about: Betsey Johnson, the winner of the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. "Her whole vibe was awesome. I can't believe she saw all those periods of New York history—they are historic, and there is so much fantasy behind them," said Hernandez. "The fact that she was a part of that world and saw all that happen was so cool," said Kelly Osbourne, who presented the award to Johnson and had some heartfelt words to share about the designer. "I know I'm not a normal fashionista, a Jane Birkin lookalike. I'm different and Betsey helped me love myself," said Osbourne, clad in a red sequin dress by Johnson. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be me."
But it was Johnson herself who was the most modest, quipping that it was Pharrell Williams, who in fact stole the show. "He's so brilliant, spiritual, beautiful, adorable, and sweet," said Johnson, who also gave some historical context to the ceremony, adding "It is our club, it is our awards, it is the big bang if you win it! I have been in the club way before it was the CFDA and when it was the Coty Awards. I'm a big part of the industry but kind of on the pink fringe, not exactly mainstream." But for Johnson, being a legend doesn't always come easy. "I'm ready to fall down. I'm so tired from the stress of doing a speech," said the designer, adding, in perfect Betsey Johnson fashion, "The cartwheel and the split are easy—it's the damn speech!"
See the best-dressed celebrities at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards:
