Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc., CFDA
The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc., founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, is a not-for-profit trade association of over 450 American fashion and accessory designers. The organization promotes American designers in the global economy.
The CFDA Foundation, Inc. is a separate not-for-profit organization, which was created to raise funds for charity and industry activities.
In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, the trade organization owns the Fashion Calendar.
Eleanor Lambert believed in destiny — her own destiny – predicted by a fortuneteller – that she would live a long life and know the greatest and most talented people of her era. Miss Lambert also believed in the destiny of American fashion and for that, she needed no fortuneteller. Eleanor Lambert lived to be 100 years old and she spent more than 70 of those years tirelessly creating the institutions, the legends and the spectacular events that put American fashion on the map and changed the way the whole world views and experiences fashion.
She was uniquely qualified for the job – coming from the world of art in the 1920s and 1930s – representing American artists who were considered on par with their European counterparts. Ironically, convincing American fashion editors would prove to be the hardest job of all!
Eleanor Lambert (Mrs. Seymour Berkson) was one of the outstanding publicists in America in fashion, interior design, and other areas of the arts, philanthropy and contemporary taste. She was a pioneer in bringing American fashion and fashion designers to their present international stature, and played a significant role in establishing fashion as an influential element of contemporary living.
