Despite an unseasonably cold April evening in New York, celebrities and fashion industry A-listers flocked to the Plaza Hotel in midtown Manhattan for American Apparel & Footwear Association’s 41st Annual American Image Awards on Monday (April 15). This year’s awards benefited the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA) Foundation.
The glamorous and iconic fashion event, which boasted a red carpet photos, a cocktail reception, and an awards ceremony, found its host in Brooke Shields, who stunned in a classic black dress with an embellished silver belt.
The American Image Awards annually celebrate the current and upcoming states of the fashion industry by honoring forward-thinking people and companies.
“It is no secret that our industry has been navigating profound change in the way we sell and bring product to market. Our honorees have not only welcomed these changes, but have thrived,” said Rick Helfenbein, the president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear association. “This year’s honorees exemplify where the industry is heading, and it is a privilege to showcase their success.”
The 2019 honorees included American Eagle Outfitters CEO Jay Schottenstein for retailer of the year, Birkenstock CEO David Kahan for company of the year, and Eileen Fisher for designer of the year, among others.
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Before the awards ceremony began, the evening’s honorees chatted and posed for photos with Shields on the red carpet. Shields, a model and actress who is no stranger to the world of fashion, took the time to talk about the types of looks she hopes to see moving forward.
“Personally, I’m most excited about the sexier side of fashion, when people are taking more chances — when there’s more of a celebration of the body,” she said.
Some of the ceremony’s highlights included an exciting video from Ruthie Davis X Disney which detailed a new Disney princess Aladdin collection, Fisher’s speech on her latest fashion projects, and person of the year honoree Isaac Ash of United Legwear & Apparel Co. promising to donate 500,000 pairs of socks to Delivering Good.
