Nadja Swarovski

Whether you're going to a movie, the theater, a fashion show, or even Vienna's Life Ball, chances are Swarovski is there, twinkling on some embellishment on a curtain, a chandelier, a costume, an evening dress, or, in the case of the Life Ball, a very blingy, very large AIDS ribbon. All those little crystals do a lot to support the arts--especially fashion. At Monday's CFDA Awards, Swarovski sponsors awards for womenswear, menswear, and accessories. The woman at the helm of all that glittering support is Nadja Swarovski, whose great, great, grandfather, Daniel Swarovski, founded the company and worked with all the major couture houses in Paris at the start of the 19th century. We grabbed a few minutes with the extremely busy Swarovski in advance of Monday's awards to pick her brain about everything from how Swarovski scouts and supports designers to her background working with famed fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert.

Just moments ago, we stopped by our neighbors' (our office building is around the corner from the CFDA) to hear Diane von Furstenberg and Nadja Swarovski announce this year's nominees for the coveted CFDA Awards. Read on to find out who they are!