The Council of Fashion Designers of America has selected leading architect Peter Marino as its 2026 Fashion Icon.
A visionary at the intersection of architecture, art and fashion, Marino has redefined the luxury retail experience through his design of extraordinary spaces for leading fashion houses, including Armani, Bulgari, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Zegna, as well as memorable boutiques for Donna Karan, Calvin Klein and Barneys New York, the CFDA said.
Marino founded his eponymous New York-based design firm in 1978 and is renowned for creating immersive spaces that capture each brand’s unique identity, often incorporating site-specific art commissions. Recent projects include Dior flagships in Milan, Beverly Hills and New York; Chanel buildings in San Diego and Los Angeles, and Tiffany flagships in Milan and New York.
Equally distinctive is Marino’s personal style, with a signature look of head-to-toe black leather, biker boots and dark sunglasses, which have made him an unmistakable figure in fashion.
An avid art collector and patron, Marino founded the Peter Marino Art Foundation in Southampton, N.Y., in 2021, showcasing more than 500 works spanning antiquity to the present. He was named a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2012, and an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2017 by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2024, he received the World Monuments Fund’s Hadrian Award.
“Through his extraordinary vision, Peter has transformed architecture into an expression of fashion, creating spaces that are as distinctive and memorable as the designers they represent. His personal style is equally uncompromising, and that authenticity is what makes him a true icon. Peter has never followed convention. He has always defined his own,” said Thom Brown, chairman of the CFDA.
“It’s great to be named a Fashion Icon by the CFDA and to be recognized by this unique industry in which I’ve worked for the past 40 years,” Marino said.
Cornelia Guest, actor, entrepreneur and animal rights advocate with longstanding ties to fashion and art, will present Marino with the award.
The 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards Presented by Amazon Fashion will take place Nov. 2 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.