Costa, Ford and Burch Win Top Honors at CFDA Awards (Fashion Wire Daily)

New York - Fransisco Costa of Calvin Klein took home the Womenswear Designer of the Year award on Monday night at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards. It marks the second time the designer has won the honor, the top award in the U.S. fashion industry, winning for the first time in 2006.

Tom Ford received the top award for menswear, while Tory Burch won for accessory design.

"To be recognized is surreal, especially alongside Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors," said Burch in her acceptance speech. Jacobs and Kors were also nominated.

The Swarovski-sponsored awards for the three top newcomers in the same categories included Kate and Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte in womenswear, Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders in menswear and Philip Crangi for accessory design.

Calvin Klein presented Carolina Herrera with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award. As guests mingled during the cocktail hour outside the New York Public Library, where the awards were held, Herrera noted her key to her enduring success as a designer.

"When you are in this business, you have to go on and on and on," she said. "Life changes, and the only thing I think all the time is to make the women who wear my clothes look beautiful, comfortable, natural. Its not about trends, or anything like that. Its about being classic, with a modern touch."

International Award winner, Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, said in an interview during the afternoon prior to the awards that he was overwhelmed by the recognition by the CFDA.

"For me, it is a really big honor, because also, its not just about the clothes that I make but the way that I run my business and the way that I make fashion," he said.

Style.coms Candy Pratts Price received the Eugenia Sheppard award for her achievements as an influential fashion editor, while Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was awarded the Board of Directors Special Tribute award for his initiatives to support the fashion industry in New York, a major economic force.

Yves Saint Laurent, who passed away at the age of 71 the evening before, was on many designers minds.

"Its makes me feel so lonely, like its not a good world anymore," said Isaac Mizrahi.

Marc Jacobs, nominated in two categories this year, womenswear and accesories, said his fluttery heart dress worn by Victoria Beckham that night was an homage to Saint Laurent.

"There has never been a collection that weve done where we havent thought about Yves Saint Laurent," he said. "I think about him all of the time."