The Council of Fashion Designers of America welcomed its newest members yesterday during a party at New York's Four Seasons restaurant. The 31 recent inductees—including Alexander Wang, Christina and Swaim Hutson, Erin Fetherston, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Chris Benz, Jenna Lyons, Lyn Devon, Koi Suwannagate, and Maria Pinto—were welcomed by CFDA president, Diane Von Furstenberg, who promised "I am your mother, mentor and leader."

The topic of conversation ranged from saving the garment district—as many of the young designers produce the majority of their collections in New York—to memories of childhood design projects. Alexander Wang remembered copying a Versace shoe for a fifth grade papier-mâché project, Albertus Swanepoel draped fabrics on dolls' heads as a child, and Irene Neuwirth started making her first jewelry with oven-baked Shrinky Dinks. Click here to see the photo gallery.

[CFDA, WWD]

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