They say birds of a feather flock together, and even though the feathers--from skirts, bags and a sky-high headband--were flying at the CFDA Awards Monday, no one person or outfit was alike.

The who's who of the fashion world gathered in Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall to see who would win the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards: the fashion equivalent of the Heisman or Oscar.

Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler vied for the Womenswear Designer of the Year award. Proenza Schouler nabbed the prize, and Hernandez sweetly thanked McCollough, "the love of my life" when accepting the award.

Backstage, Hernandez said that when coming up with new innovative designs, "the schedule is the hardest. It's just back to back to back, and there's no time to recoup." But overall, he said, "We try not to look back too much; we try to look ahead." There's no room for trends: "Making old trends new? Just make new ones!" he said.

Designer Thom Browne's winning streak continued. He took home the Menswear Designer of the Year award, after famously drawing rave reviews for creating Michelle Obama's inaugural ensemble.

Philip Lim won the Accessories Designer of the Year award for his 3.1 Philip Lim line. Backstage, Lim said a good honest smile is the best accessory. His theory when layering accessories: "When in doubt, take one off. It's always good to have a mirror right in front of you and check it."

Other winners included: Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis for Suno (Swarovski Award for Womenswear); Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School (Swarovski Award for Menswear) and Pamela Love (Swarovski Award for Accessories Design).

Ralph Lauren presented Vera Wang with the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Jessica Chastain awarded Ricardo Tisci of Givenchy the International Award. Hollywood Costume Designer Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Memoirs of a Geisha, Snow White and the Huntsman) took home the Board of Directors' Tribute Award.

Scandal's Kerry Washington, dressed in a yellow Jason Wu gown, said fashion is her mood ring. "I'm sort of a chameleon. I dress depending on my mood and wear I'm going," she said.

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara counts jewels as her fashion must-have.

"I'm Colombian, and when I get the chance to be able to wear Colombian emeralds, I really gravitate towards it," she said.