Swarovski and the CFDA

Diane von Furstenberg isn’t telling tall tales when she calls Nadja Swarovski — as she has on a variety of occasions — the fairy godmother of fashion. The company ranks historically among the top corporate supporters of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, of which von Furstenberg is president, and is the principal sponsor of the British Fashion Awards. The brand is also involved in numerous other fashion-related initiatives, including International Talent Support, an Italy-based platform for emerging creatives in fashion and art. Swarovski herself was always closely associated with fashion talent — one of her early jobs was as the assistant to fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, founder of the CFDA. Swarovski even recalls the day Lambert received the CFDA’s Industry Tribute Award in 1993. “It was an after-work — 5 p.m. — event, and we tried to add glamour to it. The CFDA has grown so much since then, and has even influenced the British Fashion Council over the years,” Swarovski said. “We like to see how designers have evolved — especially the new talent. Like with Proenza Schouler, they were the new kids on the block and now they are an established American fashion house.” She added that Swarovski “appreciates the

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