Creatives, stylists, editors, and entrepreneurs gathered as the international organization awarded its first stateside designer prizes
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
TAN FRANCE. Courtesy of CHARLEY GALLAY/Getty Images.
Emerging designers joined Fashion Trust founder Tania Fares and board members Laura Brown, Karla Welch, Tan France, and Anne Crawford at Goya Studio in Los Angeles for the organization’s inaugural U.S. awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 21. The nonprofit initiative’s search to discover, fund, and nurture young designers for this year’s six prizes culminated earlier that morning when a panel of judges including the organization’s board, advisory board, ambassadors and founding patrons had a final look at showcases by ready-to-wear and jewelry finalists.
Elizabeth Stewart, Petra Flannery, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, Phillip Lim, Rosetta Getty, B Akerlund, Ciara Wilson, Demi Moore, Jonathan Simkhai, Bethann Hardison, Cameron Silver, Alex Israel, Alessandra Ambrosio, Paris Brosnan, Emma Grede, Paris Jackson, and a host of others looked on as St. John CEO Andy Lew and Maria Sharapova presented the St. John Ready-to-Wear award to knitwear designer Aisling Camps, which earned the chance to produce a collaboration with the brand. Each accolade was also accompanied by a chic minimalist trophy covered in Fairmined gold created by sculptor and jewelry Ana Khouri, who was also on hand for the evening.
SOULL OGUN and DYNASTY OGUN. Courtesy of CHARLEY GALLAY/Getty Images.
Actor and entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross handed the Jewelry Award, including a grant and mentorship, to twin designers Soull and Dynasty Ogun of L’Enchanteur. New York–based illustrator and designer Papa Oppong received the Graduate Award sponsored by Shop with Google, including a grant and mentorship from the tech giant, from stylist Law Roach.
Knitwear brand Agbobly won the Inclusivity Award, also sponsored by Shop by Google, plus a grant and Google mentoring, and the line’s founder Jacques Agbobly accepted the honors from Brother Vellies and 15-Percent Pledge founder Aurora James and Stephanie Horton, Google’s senior director of global commerce marketing. Elena Velez, who collaborates with metalsmiths for her collections, accepted the Sustainability Award, a grant, and mentoring from FTUS. Carly Mark of Puppets and Puppets took the Google Creativity Award, presented by singer Ciara and designer Mike Amiri. Once all the trophies had made the rounds, Scout LaRue Willis performed before DJ Mia Moretti launched the evening’s celebratory afterparty.
Left: LAURA BROWN, TANIA FARES. Right: AISLING CAMPS. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
LAKE BELL, OLIVIA WILDE, CARLY WELCH, SAMIRA NASR, and TRACEE ELLIS ROSS. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
Left: DEMI MOORE. Right: AURORA JAMES. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
HEIDI KLUM, ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
Left: ELIZABETH STEWART. Right: EVAN ROSS, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
JACQUES AGBOBLY, SOULL OGUN, DYNASTY OGUN, AISLING CAMPS, and PAPA OPPONG. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
ZOEY DEUTCH, TAN FRANCE. Courtesy of STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images.
Feature image: Papa Oppong Bediako speaks onstage. Courtesy of CHARLEY GALLAY/Getty Images.
March 31, 2023.
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