What happens when you combine good sportsmanship, the most talked-about fashion designers, and a Bedazzler? That's the metaphorical question Swarovski posed to its nominees for this year's CFDA Fashion Awards. So, nine of the industry's brightest creators — across the categories of womenswear, menswear, and accessories — were tasked with creating crystal pennants for their brands in honor of their nominations. Leave it to some of the most promising talents in design to step up to the challenge and blow it out of the water in dazzling fashion ( ba-dum-tss!).
As you can imagine, these weren't your average sports pennants. Among the 22" x 35" creations (which were displayed in a giant pinwheel at an event in New York last night) were: a glamorous black-and-white, crystal-encrusted image of Gigi Hadid (Brandon Maxwell); an imagining of the world made of colored rocks on denim (Gypsy Sport); and a 3-D silver stunner (Paul Andrew). Rounding up the group with their respective brand banners were Ryan Roche, Gigi Burris, John Elliott, Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia of Monse, Aurora James of Brother Vellies, as well as Alex, Matthew, and Samantha Orley of Orley. In total, over 270,000 Swarovski crystals were used in this project.
The countdown is on for one of the biggest nights in fashion, which is set for June 6. Ahead, check out the amazingly glitzy ways each of the CFDA Fashion Awards Swarovski nominees is feting (and repping) their brand.
And you thought Gigi Hadid couldn't shine any brighter. Here are 25,000 Swarovski crystals arranged in her likeness. The pennant, which took over 60 hours to create, cheers on Brandon Maxwell, who's nominated for womenswear.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
Accessory design nominee Aurora James used a mix of materials (and a total of 29,068 crystals) to create the sunburst effect on her Brother Vellies pennant.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the duo behind buzzy womenswear brand Monse, are no stranger to bedazzled Swarovski projects: They almost outdid their 100K crystal-embellished Selena Gomez bodysuit with this pennant, which used just under 90,000 crystals (89,760, to be precise) to create their raised-letter brand emblem.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
Menswear nominee Rio Uribe of Gypsy Sport — who also was one of the winners of the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund (he shares the honor with James of Brother Vellies and Jonathan Simkhai) — has the whole world in his flag — one that sparkles with 23,411 Swarovski crystals.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
Accessories designer Paul Andrew goes for a futuristic look (given this year's crop of Met Gala looks, that means silver) with 19,122 crystals and a three-dimensional illusion.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
Ryan Roche, nominated in the womenswear category, is best known for knitwear — but for her pennant, she went with a different texture, accented by 41 large crystals.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
For their celebratory brand pennant, Alex, Matthew, and Samantha Orley for Orley arranged 30,240 blue crystals in a dizzying pattern to create a stunning visual.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
Gigi Burris translated the fun whimsy of her headbands and CFDA/Swarovski Award-nominated accessories with feathery flowers and a mix of crystals (5,841 all together) in line with an amethyst colorway.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.
John Elliott, nominated for menswear, keeps the color palette simple with 47,520 black and white crystals in order to fashion a custom graphic pattern.
Photo: Chris Gabello/Courtesy of Swarovski.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Jessica Alba Looked Very Different At The Billboard Music Awards — & We're Feeling It