Believe it or not, an awards show exists where what you wear matters more than it does at the Oscars™. At the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards, it’s the designers who accept the statuettes and the celebrities who present them. This year, presenters such as Scarlett Johansson, Alicia Keys, Harry Connick, Jr. and Lindsay Lohan doled out the honors in the New York Public Library’s grand Celeste Bartos forum. But it wasn’t just ceremony—guests also enjoyed cocktails and dinner. Attendees such as Janet Jackson, Jessica Simpson, Terrence Howard, and Heidi Klum supped on chilled soup, halibut, and sorbet molded into the shape of flowers (is that what it takes to get a fashion person to eat dessert?). Monochromatic floral arrangements by Raul Avila turned the imposing space into a spring garden, and the tables sparkled with Swarovski crystal-embellished napkin rings, vases and votives designed by Tord Boontje. All in all, it was a beautiful evening, and not just because of the dresses.

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