In the past, the Council of Fashion Designers of America has bestowed its Eugenia Sheppard Award for media on a wide range of journalists: newspaperpeople (Teri Agins, Patrick McCarthy); magazine editors of various stripes (Paul Cavaco, Candy Pratts Price); photographers (Bill Cunningham, Bruce Weber); and bloggers (Scott Schuman and Garance Doré).  This year, recalling the moment when Time magazine made “You” Person of the Year in 2006, the award will go to Instagram.  Made on Monday, by the CFDA’s president, Diane von Furstenberg, after she was trailed by “House of DVF” cameras to a Swarovski crystal-encrusted dais in the Weather Room on the 67th floor of Rockefeller Center, this announcement was the only real surprise from a list of nominations that included many names from the past. For women’s wear, the contenders will be Joseph Altuzarra (last year’s winner), Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler and Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen of the Row. The men’s wear nominees are Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School, David Neville and Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone, Thom Browne, Tim Coppens and Tom Ford.  Mr. Chow and Mr. Osborne are also nominated in the up-and-comers’ category for women’s wear, along with Ryan Roche and Rosie Assoulin. “Honestly, I’m just so happy to be in this room,” Ms. Assoulin said, standing near a window with a vertiginous view of the bright red H&M logo at 4 Times Square.  Their counterparts in fledgling men’s wear are Hood by Air, Orley and Ovadia & Sons.  Perhaps still blinking after Rihanna showed up in a transparent dress to last year’s ceremony, the C.F.D.A. did not announce a Fashion Icon Award honoree until two days later: Pharrell Williams.. But the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award, most recently claimed by Mr. Ford, 53, will be given to Betsey Johnson, 72, who promised that her acceptance speech at Alice Tully Hall on June 1 will be characteristically freestyle.  “I don’t want to practice anything,” Ms. Johnson said, wearing a scarlet knit gown slung with multiple charms and clutching a glass of Champagne, having strung her handbag over a publicist’s shoulder. “I already asked my grandkids: I said, ‘I get this award, you have to come on stage with me and we all do cartwheels.’ It’s going to be adorable.”  But who will dress Instagram?
Betsey Johnson will be given a lifetime achievement award, and Instagram (yes, Instagram) will be honored with the council’s media award.