John Varvatos receives a second Council of Fashion Designers of America Menswear Designer of the Year Award, giving him a total of three of these prestigious honors. Fellow nominees include John Bartlett and Ralph Lauren, John’s former employer and mentor.
“When I was talking to Ralph about going out on my own, he told me, ‘You should only do it if you really have something new to say,’” John recalls. “So now, whenever I see him, he gives me a hug and says, 'You're doing it. You're really doing it.’”