US fashion council to honor McQueen at NYC awards; Karan, Jacobs, Wang vie for top designer

US fashion designers pick McQueen for NYC honor

NEW YORK — The fashion world has announced one more tribute to designer Alexander McQueen.

McQueen, who died in an apparent suicide in London last month, will receive the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s special board of directors honor at the industry’s annual celebrity-studded gala this summer. The announcement was made Wednesday.

Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs and last year’s pick for up-and-coming talent, Alexander Wang, will compete in the womenswear category, considered the big competitive prize of the night.

The emerging-talent nominees in womenswear this year are Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu.

In menswear, Tom Ford, making a return to fashion, will compete in the main category with Michael Bastian and Rag & Bone’s David Neville and Marcus Wainwright. Richard Chai, Patrik Ervell and Simon Spurr were selected for the Swarovski rising-star award.

Perennial accessories designer of the year nominee Jacobs is up against Alexis Bittar and Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The designers, editors, retailers and stylists who pick nominees named Eddie Borgo, Dana Lorenz and Wang as the ones to watch in accessories.

All emerging-talent winners will receive financial support from Swarovski, the Austrian crystal company.

Michael Kors will get the lifetime achievement award, and model-turned-entrepreneur Iman is the year’s fashion icon.

The gala will be held in New York on June 7.