And the Winner is ... New York Dishes Out Fashion Honours

New York may have "grown spiritually", according to Rudy Giuliani, since September 11, but some old habits die hard. The annual Council of Fashion Designers of America awards, the oscars of the fashion world, took place amid the inevitable glitz - despite being held at the New York public library.

Narciso Rodriguez, best known as the designer of the late Carolyn Bessette's wedding dress to John F Kennedy Jr, won womenswear designer of the year, beating off the likes of Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs. Lauren missed out again in the menswear category, this time to Jacobs for his recently launched eponymous menswear.

Horn-handled bags and platform sandals were the order of the day in the accessories category, when Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent won best accessory designer of the year. Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld and American Vogue's Grace Coddington won lifetime achievement awards.

As is always the case with celebrity awards, there was some joy to be had in the unusual pairing of presenters with recipients. Alan Rickman was the unexpected distributor for best menswear award to Jacobs and David Bowie did the honours for Slimane.

The CFDA prides itself on honouring "originality and leadership in American fashion". Yet as some commentators have pointed out, the awards turned out to be more of an international affair: neither of the recipients for the lifetime achievement award is American (Coddington is British and Lagerfeld is German). The New York Times sniffed that the ceremony "was not convincing evidence of America's current fashion dominance".

The newly created fashion icon award went to Winston Churchill's goddaughter and American socialite CZ Guest, feted as "the greatest beauty of her time" by Time magazine - in 1962.

If the present is not looking too good, fashion is always good at slipping on its sentimental spectacles.

Awards

Menswear designer of the year Marc Jacobs

Womenswear design-er of the year Narciso Rodriguez

Accessory designer of the year Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent

Perry Ellis award winner for emerging talent Rick Owen

Lifetime achievement award Karl Lagerfeld and Grace Coddington, from US Vogue

Fashion icon award CZ Guest

International award Hedi Slimane for Dior Homme

Eugenia Sheppard award for fashion journalism Cathy Horyn

Creative visionary award Stephen Gan

Eleanor Lambert award Kal Ruttenstein, fashion director of Bloomingdale's