Alan Cumming Toasts Cynthia Rowley’s 2025 Founder’s Award

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The CFDA Fashion Awards aren’t until Monday night, but Cynthia Rowley invited friends, family, and industry colleagues to her West Village abode this week to get an early start on celebrating her 2025 Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert. Rowley’s honor is awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding impact on the fashion industry, demonstrating exceptional talent and vision in their work. She’ll join the ranks of Carolina Herrera, Pat McGrath, Donna Karan, and Oscar de la Renta, who are all previous recipients. She last took home a CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Fashion Talent in 1994.

Gigi Powers, Cynthia Rowley, Kit Keenan (BFA)

CFDA CEO Steven Kolb was on hand to toast Rowley and recalled he’s known the designer for 30 years—and was once a model for her at a charity fundraiser in Miami. “It was the first and only time I was on a runway, but at least I can say I was model,” Kolb  joked. Guests included host Alan Cumming, Grant Shaffer, Aurora James, Tina Leung, Alina Cho, Jamie Soros, Ezra Williams,  Eddie Roche, Sharon Coplan, Tara Rudes Dann, Steven Dann, Fred Castleberry, Allison Sarofim, Laura Rowley, Trey Laird, Lisa Smilor, and more.

Rowley made a few remarks and thanked her daughters aka roommates, Kit Keenan and Gigi Powers, who were also there to celebrate their mom. She introduced Cumming , the godfather to her daughter Gigi, who made a speech with memorable quotes from legendary fashions icons including Rowley.  “Eleanor’s motto was ‘Don’t look back’ does that sound familiar?” Cumming said. “Eleanor said life doesn’t stand still, and neither must you. There could be no better living embodiment of Eleanor Lambert’s spirit, and no better decision by the CFDA than to recognize the amazing, the beautiful, the life force that is Cynthia Rowley.”  We couldn’t agree more!

Cynthia Rowley (BFA)

Alina Cho, Sharon Coplan, Ezra J. William, Raul Penaranda, Tara Rudes Dann, Steven Dann

Cocktails were provided by Aspen Vodka, Wine by Hampton’s Water and food by The Granola Bar

All images: BFA

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