Fashionistas Fire Up Designers’ Wild Night

NEW YORK (June 6, 2006) — Lindsay, Jessica and Janet show everyone exactly how it?s done on fashion?s biggest night.

Monday’s Council on Fashion Designers of America awards are known as the Oscars of the catwalk set, and when you?ve got a brand new body, like Janet Jackson, there?s no better night on which to show it off.

Janet still knows how to make an entrance. Photographers scrambled to get a shot of her red, low-cut, black-belted Bill Blass number on the red carpet.

?How many times did you change before you decided on this outfit?? Access? Tim Vincent asked.

?Actually I had it in my closet, believe it or not,? Janet laughed.

And along with the huge rock on her right hand, Janet?s toned physique turned heads.

?One of the big things that everybody is talking about how amazing you look,? Tim said. ?You lost so much weight. What is the secret??

?Um, three things,? Janet said. ?A great nutritionist, a great trainer and discipline.?

Jessica was also baring a little something. Her legs in awhite Michael Kors mini.

?The mini is in,? Jessica said. ?The sexy innocent thing is in.?

If that?s what?s in, Jessica nailed it.

Jessica arrived last, after greeting fans on both sides of the street.

The pop songstress brough her hairstylist and friend, Ken Paves, as her date and gave Access the secret to her long, tanned legs.

?How do you keep your legs so toned?? Tim asked.

?Hereditary,? Jessica said. ?My mom has great legs.?

Heidi Klum — no stranger to the catwalk — looked fabulous as well.

?I’ve seen lots of ladies with big earrings but those are huge, what are they?? Tim asked Heidi.

?Aren’t they nice?? Heidi laughed. ?From Lorain Schwarz because they go with my jewelry.?

But Tommy Hilfiger may have taken the fashion cake dressed in a Guns N? Roses tee.

Back on May 22, Tommy Hilfiger welcomed GNR?s Axl Rose to his jungle in an unlikely fistfight in New York City that left Axl in the dust.

?That?s a fantastic t-shirt you’ve got on,? Tim told Tommy.

?Thank you very much,? Tommy laughed.

?Big fan of the band?? Tim asked.

?My favorite groups, the Stones and Guns N? Roses.?

?Now you can set things straight here on Access?? Tim said. ?People say something happened in there and somebody said that…what actually happened??

?Uh, I can’t really remember,? Tommy laughed.

?Did he approach you? Were you angry first or was he angry first?? Tim pressed.

?I’m not even talking about it, but I’ll just tell you, they are a great band,? Tommy laughed.

Inside the show, Francisco Costa, Thom Browne and Tom Binns won the top fashion designers of the year.

Costa was named womenswear designer of the year three years after taking over creative duties at Calvin Klein from the company’s namesake designer. Klein won the award in 1993 and 1987.

“If there’s an American dream, this is it for me,” said Costa, who grew up in Brazil’s countryside.

He beat out perennial nominee Marc Jacobs, who did win the womenswear award in 1997, and Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler, who had been picked as the best up-and-coming designers only three years ago.

Meanwhile, Browne was selected over Cloak’s Alexandre Plokhov and Ralph Lauren for menswear designer. Browne told the crowd, which besidesJanet,Jessica and Lindsay, includedChloe Sevigny, Sandra Oh and Sean “Diddy” Combs in addition to top fashion designers Vera Wang, Diane von Furstenberg and Donna Karan, that Lauren was an inspiration to him — and to so many others in the room.

Harry Connick Jr. gave Browne his trophy, putting on Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s signature sunglasses and holding her tiny handbag to prove his fashion credentials. (He is also married to model Jill Goodacre.)

Jeremy Piven, star of HBO’s “Entourage,” was the host of the 24th annual ceremony.

He joked that his only qualification for being on stage is that he was “one haircut away from the Tom Ford story.”

LindsayjoinedKarl Lagerfeld in presenting Binns with the award for accessory design. The jewelry designer was selected over Jacobs and Michael Kors by the CFDA membership, press, retailers and stylists who vote on the awards.

The rest of the awards went to a mix of industry icons, including photographer Bruce Weber, former Neiman Marcus senior vice president and fashion director Joan Kaner and CFDA president Stan Herman — who was serenaded by a sultry Bernadette Peters, and the next generation of fashion stars.