Arnold was chosen to fill 10-year CFDA vet Fern Mallis' shoes in June. Mallis is joining IMG to direct 7th on Sixth, which it recently acquired from the CFDA.

According to CFDA president Stan Herman, who conducted the affair, "it was one of the more exciting meetings we've had and a very uplifting meeting." He explained to FWD that even negativity can be uplifting when a group is working toward "good things."

The negativity Herman refers to is likely related to the meeting's two most heated topics of discussion: the timing of the fashion shows and the question of whether the CFDA Awards should again be televised.

While no resolutions were reached regarding these issues, a few definitive announcements did emerge from the meeting.

When the CFDA sold 7th on Sixth to IMG last spring, it said that it was returning its focus to its missions as a non-profit, among them supporting designers, promoting American fashion and leading campaigns against breast cancer and AIDS. In one of the first moves in this direction, Mercedes-Benz, the title sponsor of 7th on Sixth, is donating a car to Saks' campaign for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. The luxury automobile, along with T-shirts created by CFDA members, will be auctioned on eBay in October. Herman told FWD that as the 40th anniversary of the foundation approaches, there will definitely be more new initiatives in the philanthropic realm.

In the administrative arena, Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta were officially reinstated as CFDA board members at the meeting. The two resigned their positions in 1999, after the five-hour debacle of that year's American Fashion Awards ceremony.

In other board shuffling, Bill Blass was named a director emeritus, which opens a seat on the 26-member board. A nominations committee has been formed to fill it.

Finally, it was announced that eveningwear designer Melinda Eng will open a restaurant in the Garment District next month.

So despite the debate about the timing of the shows, which has been raging for years, and the contentious televised awards topic, Herman insists, "I was really very up about the meeting." He explains that, "We have issues, and this is the time that people have to air them. Unfortunately, we only meet two times a year."

And will Arnold, a relative outsider in the fashion world, be able to hack it? Herman sure thinks so. "Peter fell into this thing beautifully. It wasn't easy to follow Fern. She was a strong leader. But he has his own agenda ... We chose somebody from outside the industry because we needed somebody with a fresh look. As president for 10 years, I must say that I feel revitalized."