Carrie Coon Believes in the Future of American Fashion at the 2026 CFDA Awards

November 3, 2026

Much like her character Bertha Russell in HBO’s The Gilded Age, Carrie Coon is a strong, dynamic patron of the arts, with a burgeoning interest in fashion. That latter part of which her to the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards with American designer and CFDA member Nellie Partow yesterday evening.

“My relationship to fashion is nascent and so I am engaged in a process of education, but also discovery,” Coon told Vogue ahead of the big night. “I have had the pleasure of wearing established designers, but also many young, rising innovators, including independent female designers like Nellie Partow, who seeks out and champions strong, singular women.” Likewise, Partow shared her own adoration for the actress: “I’ve always admired women who are tenacious, grounded in who they are, and unapologetically themselves. Carrie embodies all of these qualities, which makes collaborating with her all the more meaningful,” she said.

A room with a view.

Though Coon protests that she’s new to fashion, her CFDA Award gave off the energy of a well-seasoned attendee. It helps that this isn’t the first time that she’s donned a Partow creation. The two first connected through Coon’s stylist Alicia Lombardini while doing press alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne for the independent film, His Three Daughters. The form-fitting suit was an instant hit.

Final looks with creative director and founder Nellie Partow.

For yesterday evening, the dress’s inspiration was more of a feeling than a specific reference. On Coon’s end, she wanted to channel “a strong sense of self,” through the look’s vibrant fabric. “At 45, I have never felt more cohesive, and that integration is a solid foundation for taking risks,” she said. For Partow, the cerulean silk organza look was inspired by “a sense of levity and air.” (Like many things that exude ease, the dress still took over 100 hours to make.)

Great fashion often speaks to larger context than just the act of wearing clothes, and this storytelling is exactly what draws Coon to the industry. “Honestly, my occupations—actress and mother—always call me back to the present, and I am most focused on how we manifest a future that resists the story of the inevitability of a techno-fascist takeover,” she said. “Personal expression through fashion is a powerful avenue for asserting both our individuality and the creative potency of the human collective.”

But still, there was hope for the future at large—and the future of American fashion—in the promising young designers in attendance at last night’s event, many of whom Coon was eager to meet. “I subscribe to the CFDA’s mission to support the arts and specifically to uplift emerging designers purely for their artistry and skill over their connections in the business,” Coon said. “It is a model for all systems, politically and otherwise, that one must look outside the system for agents of disruption in order to spur innovation.”

Arriving at the Natural History Museum before walking the carpet.

Alexandra Hildreth is the Fashion News Writer at Vogue Runway. She is fascinated by style trends, industry news, shake-ups, and The Real Housewives. Previously, she worked as the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. Her work has appeared in SHOWstudio, i-D, Marie Claire, and more. She is based in New York. ... Read More

Source link