FGI unveils upcoming finalists for 2023 – WWD

Many emerging talents in the fashion industry are aspiring to become a Rising Star award winner and Fashion Group International has announced its list of this year’s finalists.

Winners will be announced on May 8th at a ticketed luncheon at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City. As genderless fashion is increasingly embraced by designers and big brands, as seen through product offerings and in some cases collaborative runway shows and presentations, for the first time FGI is highlighting three categories by sector rather than gender: eveningwear, ready-to-wear and Active/casual wear. Consumers’ interest in flowing fashion and market trends helped spark the change.

The global unisex apparel The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5 percent and generate an estimated $3.2 billion by 2030. Millennials and Gen Z consumers are driving growth. Demands for gender equality are also a factor – something that brands like Adidas, Tory Burch and Gap have supported through their workforce.

FGI’s eveningwear category field consists of eponymous designers Andrew Kwon, Bach Mai, Kate Barton, Terry Singh and Manuel Tiscareño, who is behind Tiscareño. The Prêt-à-Porter honor goes to one of the following: eponymous designer Autumn Adeigbo, Stephen Mikhail of Atelier Cillian, sisters Kelsey and Cassidy Tucker of Detroit-based Deviate, Marrisa Wilson of Marrisa Wilson New York, couple women’s team Michael and Alex Toccin of Toccin.

The active/casualwear arena represents a crowded market that has only grown in recent years as the stay-at-home workforce prefers ultra-casual, comfortable clothing. This year’s Rising Star Award contenders for active/casualwear are: Marusya Tamboura and Burkindy for Jahnkoy, eponymous designer Nicholas Raefski, Joseph DeAcetis of Potro and another signature designer, Teddy of Ranson.

In the running for the Beauty/Entrepreneur award are Stephanie Miklosvary from Lucky Chick, married couple Michael and Diana Wilson from Saints & Sinners Haircare and Raquel Riley Thomas from Raquel Riley Thomas Beauty.

The most competitive field this year is accessories – hard and soft goods categories. The finalists are eponymous designer Celia Torvisco, Chris Donovan of Chris Donovan Footwear, Jennifer Rose Smail of Cuddigan Leather, Megan Key Campos and Nick Lucio of Oncept, Rowell Concepcion of Binata Millinery, Metri Holliday of Metri Holliday LLC, and Lei Li and Yiren Zhou from Monsecret New York. For Fine Jewelry, Hakan Orrling from Arild, Moulay Yacoubi from Burkindy, Ritika Ravi from Ivar Jewelry and mother-daughter duo Maika Rivera Tanpoco and Melizza Jaune Tanpoco from Jaune Pearls are in the running.

As collaborations continue to fuel the industry, FGI will present its Rising Star Award for Collaborations to one of these combined forces: Dan Hines, Marketing Director of Jared Jewelers, for the company’s association with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers “Junkyard Dog Chain.” Scott Schoessel, Vice President of Global Marketing at Wolverine Worldwide for the brand’s 1000 Mile x Old Rip Van Winkle, or Vesna Cremona, the founder of Amer_ican, for Amer_ican’s collaborations with various designers.

As in previous years, this spring’s 27th Annual Luncheon will include special awards such as the Hilldun Business Award, going to Marcelo Guimarães and Jordana Guimarães of Fashinnovation, and the FGI Rising Star Entrepreneur Award to Kimberly Carney of The Wires. To generate advance interest in the Rising Star Awards, a pre-party will be held on April 4th at Sartoria Studio, a custom haberdashery store at 65-69 West Houston Street in SoHo, New York. Hilldun is back as a sponsor of the FGI Rising Star Awards 2023, and Fashwire is also on board with its support. Perhaps an indication of another shift in the fashion industry – as in the ailing publishing segment – is the absence of Hearst as a sponsor of the luncheon after 10 years.