At Monday night’s Cfda Awards at the American Museum of Natural History, Thom Browne, the current chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, made the case that fashion has a place even amid times of world crisis.

In a powerful speech that kicked off the evening, Browne noted that Cfda members “thought carefully about the appropriateness of a fashion celebration in a time like this. But tonight is about so much more than celebrating individuals,” he said. “We’re coming together as a collective to champion creativity, diversity and inclusion in our American industry.”

Thom Browne attends the 2023 Cfda Fashion Awards on Nov. 6, 2023.

That sentiment was reflected on the pre-event carpet as well, that an industry which exceeds $350 billion in global impact annually could create a moment of solidarity as they honor both established and emerging designers. “This event in particular gives a lot of exposure to young designers,...