Oscar winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph and her stylists Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald presented the final prize; everyone sang along with Macy Gray performing her hit "I Try" on stage; Cynthia Erivo, Andra Day, Paris Hilton, Kiernan Shipka, Janelle Monáe, Lisa Rinna, Jessica Biel and more mixed with an international group of designers including Isabel Marant, Phillip Lim, LaQuan Smith, Gherardo Felloni, Laura Mulleavy, Enrico Chiarparin, Maria Cornejo, Raul Lopez, Sergio Hudson, Tyler Ellis, Batsheva Hay and Jackson Wiederhoeft.
The Fashion Trust US 2024 Awards held in Los Angeles on Tuesday night gave the East Coast design awards a run for their money, gathering an impressive crowd to hand out half a million dollars at a private Beverly Hills estate with a gym as big as some houses.
More from WWDThe evening started with cocktails on the expansive terrace. People dressed - they dressed - with Wiederhoeft in a sequined portrait dress and lace opera gloves; Binata millinery designer Rowell Concepcion in a tuxedo hat; and stylist B Akerlund in full compliments.
Guests started the evening networking, viewing the designers' works, drinking tequila cocktails with flower garnishes and placing bets on the price of the lavish abode, as is customary in this land of real estate porn.
U Beauty's Tina Chen Craig and a pink Valentino-clad Eric Buterbaugh sat at the bar with Smith. "They asked me to be on the board and critique some designers... and meet some emerging talents, it was a lot of fun. I was happy to be a part of it," said Smith.
"It's so tough out there that it's important to take these young designers and show them support and love," said APL managing partner NJ Goldston, one of several executives in the mix, including St. John CEO Andy Lew, and Dertien Lune CEO and co-founder Patrick Herning.
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Everyone migrated past the pool and lemon grove to a tent in the backyard for the awards dinner, where Tory Burch, St. John, Roger Vivier, UTA and Tabayer had purchased tables, and stylists Petra Flannery, Erin Walsh and Jason Bolden, hairstylist Chris Appleton and others sat on the chairs.
The Fashion Trust US finalists were selected by founder Tania Fares, board members Laura Brown, Karla Welch, Tan France, Maha Dakhil and Anne Crawford, with support from presenting sponsor Shop With Google. A larger group voted on the winners on Tuesday morning after a showcase.
"As someone who has walked this challenging path, I understand the highs and lows of the fashion world. The journey can sometimes feel lonely, stressful and full of self-doubt, which is why it is crucial to have a supportive community," said Fares at the launch of the awards, which highlighted global diversity and craft in fashion for the second year , as well as the importance of the Hollywood spotlight.
Hosted by Zooey Deschanel, The awards included prizes for emerging ready-to-wear, jewellery, accessories and graduate designers, with two special award categories including inclusivity and sustainability.
Harbison Studio won the Ready-to-Wear Award, presented by Randolph, Bannerman and McDonald. Charles Harbison started his label in New York, eventually closed it, moved to LA and relaunched it in 2022.
"I exist because I'm in LA," he said. "Carpets have been great for me, and then I get this cocktail night business," he said of the success he's had selling his "Southern girl meets 'Alice in Wonderland'" dresses at Bergdorf Goodman, Moda Operandi and soon at Nordstrom, as well as dressing the likes of Sheryl Lee Ralph, Chloe Bailey and Jodie Turner-Smith for the red carpet.
"I'm here because of the women who raised me and who used fashion to enhance their experience in the world. They were real workers, strong, wonderful women. Their kids from 9 to 5 and Monday to Friday were tough, but their Saturdays and Sundays were great and little Charlie saw that," he said as he accepted the award.
"I didn't know I was eligible for this award, but I'm happy when I win... always," said Hay, who received the Sustainability Award. "I like to use vintage and sustainable fabrics," she said, adding of the Fashion Trust experience: "I have to say, and I have experienced it, that this is a very nice program. Tania, everyone involved, it felt like a full embrace, support all the way...for what we're going through, it's quite a big deal.
The designer of the subversively feminine label founded in 2017 made headlines at New York Fashion Week in February for casting Molly Ringwald, Ione Skye and others in a cast of models over 40 on her runway, an experience, she said, "renewed my creativity."
The Marant Accessories Award, sponsored by Builder Ai, was presented to Esha Soni, who launched her brand of beautiful, Made in India heirloom bags in organic shapes with removable bracelets after working for Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler, Ralph Lauren and others almost two decades.
Soni appeared on 'The Real Housewives of New York' in August. "I had 3,000 people in the store the night the show aired," she said during cocktail hour, adding that it sold 15 of her $1,000 bags. "I need to focus on aligning myself with the right stores for the next six months," she continued, adding Just One Eye and Elyse Walker to her LA wishlist.
Erivo presented the Jewelry Award to MoAnA Luu from ManLuu, who pays tribute to her French West Indian heritage with handmade modern cannage jewelry in gold and gemstones. "I didn't prepare a speech because I was already so happy to be here," says the designer, originally from Martinique. "I want to inspire the younger generation to understand that Creole jewelry is part of a larger global story."
The St. John-sponsored Graduate Award went to Yamil Arbaje, whose designs highlight youth culture and representations of Latin American masculinity.
The Shop With Google-sponsored Inclusivity Award, presented by Emma Grede, CEO and co-founder of Good American, and Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies and the Fifteen Percent Pledge, was presented to Ashley Harris of Don't Let Disco.
The collection of unique, handmade beaded jewelry was founded in 2021 by the former director of Sotheby's, who has found success hosting regular bead bar events at her Brooklyn studio, "hanging memories so you can carry them with you always" made with beads by third-generation glassblowers, Polish artisans, breast cancer survivors and more.
"We have built an incredible community with our bead beams...It is such an honor to be here and in this room," Harris said.
Each winner received a trophy designed by jewelry designer Nigora Tokhtabayeva from Tabayer. Inspired by Tabayer's signature Oera motif, the sculptural gold trophy, cast in bronze and finished in 18-carat Fairmined gold, runs within itself like a needle and thread.
Using seed donations from LA-based British heiress Jordana Reuben Yechiel, jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche and 24 other founders in the real estate, finance and art worlds, Fares founded the Fashion Trust US in 2022, with the aim of awarding prizes in amounts which are determined by a designer's needs.
Fashion Trust US winners will receive grants of between $100,000 and $200,000, depending on their company size and annual revenue, as well as mentoring. Both U.S. citizens and non-citizens are eligible, but companies must be based and registered in the U.S., employ U.S. creators and workers, and have been in existence for a minimum of two years and a maximum of seven years.
In the second year, the awards include accessories categories for the first time.
"[Charles Harbison] lives in LA and thinks this is a really good thing for his business," Fares said of presenting the awards on the West Coast. "There's so much happening creatively with stylists, artists and designers, so I think this is a great place to host it."
Launch Gallery: Paris Hilton, Jessica Biel, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and more attend the Fashion Trust 2024 Awards
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