The 2017 Rising Stars

Margaret Hayes and keynote speaker Whoopi Goldberg

Presenter Bobbi Brown Presenter Roopal Patel withSaks Fifth Avenue's Tracy Margolies

THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

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20th Annual Rising Star Awards

4Rising Star Cocktail Party

5FGI Annual Meeting

Save The DateRTW

Fall / Winter 17

6Upcoming Events

New Menmbers List

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7

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ChairKatie Kretschmer

Editor / Contributing Writer

Writers / EditorsWendy D'Amico, Creative Consultant

Nancy Jeffries, Contributing Writer

Carolyn Moss, Contributing Writer

Melissa Pastore, Contributing Writer

Graphic DesignDebora DeCarlo, DDC Graphics

PhotographyBruce BornerNancy Jeffries

Clint Spaulding/WWD

The Fashion Group International Rising Star Awards

Presenter Julie WainwrightPresenter Aerin Lauder

Presenter Prabal Gurung

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Isabel and Ruben ToledoHot House Beauties by Isabel Toledo

Kia Ragland Smashbox Cosmetics

Fashion Group International Rising Stars Winners

Alejandra Alonso RojasAlejandra Alonso Rojas

Christine Hunsicker Gwynnie Bee

Dana BronfmanDana Bronfman

Allison MitchellAllison Mitchell LLC

Jennifer Bandier Bandier

Peyman UmayPeyman Umay LLC

Accessories Fine JewelryBeauty / Fragrance Entrepreneur Beauty / Fragrance Corporate

Gabriel Handler and Jeremy AndersonApparatus

Claudia LiClaudia Li

Womenswear (Tie)

Retail

Hilldun Business InnovationHome/Interior Design

Presenter Gary Wassner

Accessor ies Awardpresented by Roopal Patel

Allison Mitchell for Allison Mitchell LLC. Aimee Kestenberg for Aimee Kestenberg ElanFreida Rothman for Freida RothmanSusan Easton for From the RoadHeather Hubbard for Mr. Bruce R. Katz for Samuel Hubbard Shoe CompanyTarryn Simone for Tarryn Simone LLC.

Reta i l Award presented by Julie Wainwright

Jennifer Bandier of BandierMegan Berry of byReveal Sarah Krauss of S’Well

Beauty and Fragrance Corpora te Award presented by Linda Wells

Kia Ragland of Smashbox CosmeticsAlexandra Besnard of FirmenichChiaki Nomura of International Flavors & FragrancesCate Powell of MAC Cosmetics

Beauty F ragrance Ent repreneur Award presented by Bobbi Brown

Isabel and Ruben Toledo, for Hot House Beauties FragranceCollection by Isabel ToledoMatthew Waitesmith for ArtisMark Veeder for FarmacyZanna Roberts Rassi for Milk MakeupElizabeth Gaynes for Strange Love NYC Holly Riddel for The Riddel Group LLC.

F ine Jewel ry Award presented by Amanda Weiner Alagem

Dana Bronfman for Dana BronfmanGourav Soni for 64 FacetsMeredith Marks for Meredith MarksLepa Galeb-Roskopp for Misahara Jewelry

Home Furn ish ings and Product Innovat ion Award presented by Aerin Lauder

Gabriel Handler and Jeremy Anderson for ApparatusJason Miller for Roll & Hill Andrew Deming and Rachel Gant for Yield

Menswear Award presented by Eric Jennings

Peyman Umay for Peyman Umay LLC. David Hart for David Hart Carlos Garciavelez for Garciavelez Stephen Ferber for Stephen F

Womenswear Award ( t ie ) presented by Prabal Gurung

Alejandra Alonso Rojas for Alejandra Alonso Rojas Claudia Li for Claudia LiJeffrey Dodd for Jeffrey DoddJi Oh for Ji Oh Georgia Lazzaro for ProtagonistRomeo Hunte for Romeo Hunte New YorkEmily Brady Koplar for Wai Ming

Hi l ldun Business Innovat ion Award presented by Gary Wassner

Christine Hunsicker of Gwynnie Bee

Menswear

Presenter Linda wells

Presenter Amanda Weiner Alagem

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Fashion Group International

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Rising Stars

The Annual Rising Star Awards, presented by TheFashion Group International on January 26, at NewYork’s Cipriani 42nd Street, celebrated not only thefashion, design, and beauty categories for whichthey are so well known, but also the heart and passion of the entire industry. In addressing thesold-out audience of more than 400, MargaretHayes, president of FGI, said the event marked aspecial day, the 20th anniversary of the awards, andalso welcomed “perhaps the most exciting keynotespeaker ever, Whoopi Goldberg.”

Hayes explained that the awards recognize achieve-ment in the categories of accessories, home furnish-ings, fine jewelry, beauty and fragrance (both corporate and entrepreneurial), menswear, retail,and womenswear, and noted that the program supports FGI’s mission to promote thecareers of both seasoned and emerging talents.

Every year, the voting process begins with 120 nominees proposed by the Rising Star creative committee, FGI Board, members and friends in thefashion, beauty and design communities. The FGIBoard of Directors and committee members vote inthe first round, using a numbered scale rating creativity and innovation to determine finalists. Thesecond and final round of voting is open to theentire FGI membership.

Members represent all industry classifications; theirvote reflects a microcosm of the consuming publicand is a barometer of success, said Hayes. Sheadded, however, that while talent is a special ability,it can only be fully realized through “strength ofcharacter, selfless commitment of time, energy,resources, and relentless drive.” Emphasizing herconfidence in what lies ahead, Hayes said, “You areall to be congratulated for the passion that hasbrought you to this moment. The industry’s future issecure because of your talent and creativity.”

Hayes thanked sponsors of the event, includingHearst Magazines, Saks Fifth Avenue, the HilldunCorporation, the Movado Group for creating anddonating the awards, John Sano for design of the“step-and-repeat” wall, and the day’s presenters:Amanda Weiner Alagem, Neil Blumenthal, Roopal Patel(stepping in for Neil Blumenthal who had a last-minute emergency out of town), Bobbi Brown, PrabalGurung, Eric Jennings, Aerin Lauder, Julie Wainwright,Gary Wassner and Linda Wells, as well as formerRising Star winners Monica Rich Kosann andCatherine Smith.

A Keynote for All Seasons

Hayes introduced the Goldberg as “one of the few performers to win every major entertainment award,including an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and two Emmys,as well as two Golden Globe Awards, a Drama DeskAward and three People’s Choice awards.” She askedattendees to join her in welcoming “actress, comedian, television host, and human rights activist, Whoopi Goldberg.”

Goldberg began by declaring, “I’m fashion’s worstnightmare and you’re probably wondering why I’mhere.” However, she brought it all into focus by notingthat the room was filled with young people, the hopefor the future, and their creativity would change fash-ion. “Fashion is not predicated on how thin you are,but on how good you want to look,” she said.Goldberg referred to her own fashion venture last year,in which she conceptualized and designed the uglysweater collection, a line of quirky Christmas sweatersmade of wool, cashmere and cotton, which featuredcartoonlike designs that expressed her humor and style.

She confessed she found the venture pleasurable butalso a lot of hard work: “I designed an ugly sweaterand I realized how difficult it is. I had a liking for it,but you have a passion for it. Fashion without passionis beige. Please don’t make us beige. So do it. Dokick-ass stuff. Someone will wear it,” she said. “Don’tlose your passion, it’s rare to find it.”

Alluding to the state of the world today, Goldbergsaid, “It’s going to be a little rocky for a while, butpeople always need to feel good and that’s where youcome in. In the strangeness that may or may notcome, do whatever you can to make it better. Smile atpeople. I smile at people. We can have that connec-tion. We’re not all the same and that’s what makes usinteresting. So do it without evil, do it with goodnessin your hearts. Cherish these moments, get in it, swimin it, then share it.”

In presenting Goldberg with FGI’s Spirit of Rising StarAward, Margaret Hayes took the opportunity to shareGoldberg’s own inspiring words, “I am the Americandream. I am the epitome of what the American Dreambasically said. You could come from anywhere and beanything you want in this country...and that’s exactlywhat I did. I am where I am because I believe in allpossibilities.”

Presenting the Womenswear award, Prabal Gurungacknowledged Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Bobbi Brown,and Linda Wells for “their fabulous examples in thefashion and beauty industries.” He applauded thefact that the nominees had created collections for adiverse range of women, and cited the combinationof passion, art and achievement that were hallmarksof this year’s award ceremony.

Winners in all categories thanked their teams andexpressed their gratitude for the encouragement theyreceived along the way. Among the fashion awardrecipients, Menswear winner Peyman Umay noted howhonored he was to accept his award from “such anamazing organization as FGI. Everybody called me adreamer, and here I am. There are two things thatyou need to have, and they are your beliefs and yourvalues,” he said.

Kia Ragland of Smashbox, winner in theBeauty/Fragrance Corporate category, thanked herteam, noting that The Estée Lauder Companies andSmashbox had given her great opportunities. “Evenwhen I created a bright color like Punch, they welcomed it, and it became a big hit,” said Ragland.

Isabel and Ruben Toledo, who won FragranceEntrepreneur honors, shared their enthusiasm forbreaking the mold with their fragrance collection.Their deeply personal fragrances feature tropicalscents and tell their own story of love and joy. Thefirst-time fragrance collaboration between theToledos and Lane Bryant followed the debut of theIsabel Toledo fashion collection for Lane Bryant.

In a tribute to what was at the heart of the RisingStar Award celebration, the Toledos thanked FGI, as well as their Givaudan family, with whom theyworked to create the fragrance collection. They concluded with a quote from their friend KarlLagerfeld, who said, “It’s never too late to start rising.”

— Nancy JeffriesContributing Writer, bnjcasa@aol.com

ALL NEW ON THE FGI WEBSITE!

“FASHION SPEAKS...”A blog featuring FGI members worldwide,

sharing their thoughts and viewson fashion, retail, beauty, culture

and current events.A MEMBERS-ONLY EXCLUSIVE!

FIND IT ON YOUR REGION’S HOMEPAGE AT WWW.FGI.ORG

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“I work at Fashion Group.” With these words,Margaret Hayes summoned the attention of thepacked Café SFA, a crowd of FGI Board and committee members, rising star finalists, past winners and guests. The fun and intimate annualevent is held each year (and hosted by Saks FifthAvenue, thank you!) to honor all the finalists a few weeks before the Rising Star Awards luncheon.

“It’s hard to believe it’s the 20th year for theRising Stars,” Hayes said. She explained how thefinalists had been culled from a starting pool ofmore than 100 nominees in eight categories to agroup of 38. She also highlighted the many pastfinalists and winners who have gone on to furthergreatness—Catherine Smith, Clio Ermenidis, JulieMackowe, Donrad Duncan, Loris Diran and BrandonMaxwell, to name just a few.

The crowd mixed and mingled over tasty nibblesand sparkling drinks—and also got to meanderthrough Saks’ annual shoe sale (in case anyoneneeded new footwear to wear to the awards).

–– Katie KretschmerEditor/Contributing Writer

Rising Stars Cocktail Party Rising Stars Finalists and Winners 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From left: Accessories finalist Allison Mitchell withWomenswear finalist Emily Brady Koplar of Wai Ming

From left: Rhona Stokols and Fine Jewelry finalist Lepa Galeb-Roskopp of Misahara Jewelry

Amanda Weiner Alagem From left: Model Kim Alexis and 2011 Menswear Rising Star winner Loris Diran

From left: Nicholas Graham with Beauty/FragranceEntrepreneur finalist Elizabeth Gaynes of Strange Love NYC

From left: Womenswear finalist Alejandra Alonso Rojas with Rebecca Blair

Designer Ji Oh of Ji Oh, Womenswear finalistCatherine Smith of Plan de Ville, 2016 Rising Star Winner in retail

Rising Stars Cocktail Party

Fashion Group International Annual Meeting

FGI held its annual meeting at headquarters on Jauary30th. Board members, committee chairs and generalmembers assembled to enjoy wine and snacks andhear quick reports on the state of the organization andvote on new Board members.

For starters, FGI President Margaret Hayes announcedthat the full slate was elected, as follows:

Seven new directors were elected for three-year terms:Karen L. Bromley, Jodi Kaplan, Jaqui Lividini, RoopalPatel, Frederic Pignault, Michael Sengstack and JameelSpencer. Angela Mariani was elected for a second three-year term, and Nancy Cardone andNicholas Munafo were elected to serve a third and finalthree-year term on the board. Additionally, Donald J.Loftus was elected chairman of the board for a three-year term.

Hayes then gave a brief financial overview for 2016.“It was good, but not great,” she said, adding that“good is the new great.” She explained that while theorganization lost money, they typically plan to losemoney every year (but don’t always) and in general theorganization was healthy. “However, the big challengeremains membership growth. Everyone in this roomshould aim to bring two new members to our organiza-tion.”

Hayes was followed by the chairs from the variouscommittees who each presented the highlights for theyear.

Amy Rosi, who leads the special events committee,spoke about the importance of events both for raising funds and for attracting new members.

Emily Koltnow, chair of the Regional Conference committee explained how the two-and-a-half-dayannual meeting for regional directors serves as valuable training and education to help them supportand promote FGI for their local members.

Maryanne Grisz, director of special events & socialstrategy, explained how FGI’s social media presencehas grown over the past three years. “Our socialmedia reach is growing faster than membership,” shesaid. She highlighted the new blog, FGI Speaks, thatis open to contributions from all members and hasbeen very well received.

Diane Clehane takes care of public relations for the organization and handed out a fat printout of clipsshowing off front-page coverage of FGI events inmajor outlets, as well as video clips.

Deanna Clark Esposito talked about activities of themembership committee—stepping in for committeechair Donella Tillary, and Katie Kretschmer gave aquick rundown on the publications committee.

The evening is also an opportunity for the board to recognize members for contributions to the organization or for achievements. This year, theEntrepreneur of the Year award was presented to EricaOrange, executive vice president and chief operatingofficer of The Future Hunters.

–– Katie KretschmerEditor/Contributing Writer

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Margaret Hayes and Erica Orange Deanna Clark Esposito

SAVE THE DATE

2017FALL / WINTERApril 6, 2017

Hearst Tower Screening Room 2nd Floor, 300 West 57 ST

9 a.m. Trend Presentation

12 Noon Trend Presentation(with panel discussion)

2 p.m. Trend Presentation(with video encore of panel discussion)

For more information and to purchase tickets and/or tables

Visit www.fgi.org or call 212.302.5511

Calendar of Events

March 9, 2017TASTEMAKERS

JOHN DEMSEYExecutive Group President, The Estée Lauder Companies

&ALINA CHO

Editor at Large, Ballantine Bantam Dell

21 Club / 21 West 52nd Street

Seated Breakfast 8:50 - 9:20 a.m.Conversation 9:25 - 10:05 a.m.

March 21, 2017 Next Gen

Brett Heyman,Founder of Edie Parker and 2016 FGI Rising StarWinner, joins us to talk about her passionate huntfor the post-WWII vintage clutches that inspired

her collection of customizable, acrylicminaudières & crystal-dazzled bangles being

snapped up by cool girls everywhere.

FGI Headquarters8 West 40th Street, 7th Floor

5:30 - 6 p.m. Reception6 - 7 p.m. Program

For more information and to purchase tickets and/or tables

Visit www.fgi.org or call 212.302.5511

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THE F A SH ION GROUP I N T ERNAT I ONAL N EW MEMBERS

New YorkEyan AllenSol Alonso NicolichMaral ArtinianYelena BedunkevichMatthew BerrittEstelle Bonnerot*Samantha BrownDoreen BucherPierre CapdevielleSuzanne DacheSam DyerSusan EastonDiana EspinoFlorian FrohlichAnne FulenwiderJeffrey H. GreeneAllison GroedelMelanie Seymour HollandBrooke JaffeEric JavitsMarie KaessnerJodi KaplanTami KatzElla KimHaoran Li*Grace Lim Huey MinSisi Liu*Susan MaklariAleksandra MarkovicAyub MohamedSusie MulderJean-Yves MustiereHee Yoon Jenny NahmJuulia PeuhkuriManina Phala*Don PietranczykThomas PoliEmilie PoulinJulianne PruettCristina Rueda*Sophie RuthensteinerMarianna SatanasRobert SchaltenbrandRhiannon Silvester*Elizabeth SmithYaeji SonJameel SpencerRachel Sun*Jacqueline SymsMatthew TeriYu-Hsuan Ashley Tsao*Rayonne VossoughJessica WalshParisa Pan WangJingci WangAlexander WangGary WassnerJue WongCharlotte Yamada*Joe Zee

ArizonaPerrine Adams*Ellen DayanRuby Farias*Gail Friend*Karen Harris*Linda KazaresSusan Shipley

AtlantaDejan AgatonovicEmma CatheyCarley-Beth CulpepperTesh GandhiLawton HallLiz LapidusSalvatore Luca Lo SiccoMeryl MacuneCleah MurrayRobin Suggs

BostonAnthony J. Capuano

ChicagoJennifer CyraRahat Khan*Trish Kuehnl

DallasMelinda AndrewDinah CapshawKathy FielderDee Gratz-JonesVanessa Herrera*Jennifer HillHannah Humphrey*Wade HydeCindy PierceDan Pritchett*Shelly RosenbergTendai TawonezviKelsey Titlow*Tisha Vaidya*Jim Vasquez*Jennifer VincentNerissa Von Helpenstill

DenverKatherine CarstensenValerie Lukach

DetroitSarah Ayers*Boswell HardwickJill Ouellette

HoustonOnyii BrownSteven ColemanChristina GreeneNatalie HarrisJai JonesLucinda LoyaTranicia Rubin*Kenisha Smith*Dee WareKisa Williams*

Kansas CityShelly CascioKari LunnJudi Walters

Los AngelesJessica Bretherton*Laura Garcia FernandezRobert GamlowskiSarah HowatsonSilvia Blasco JimenezAngella KimHeidi Fumie NilausenSusanne Villiger

Members-at-LargeDelphine Bellini (France)Britta Cabanos (Oregon)Deborah Kaplan (Pennsylvania)Susan Spencer (Alabama)

Minneapolis/St. PaulBridget ClarkBruce GoodmanLindsey HigginsLeeann JorgensonAdam SouthamMaria Tyler

North FloridaErin HealyJoseph Lago

PhiladelphiaBrandi Mayo*

Saint LouisLillian BatesAmanda BauerToni D. ByrdLynn HamiltonLori KrugTracy MarkleinJessica Ulrich

San AntonioMary AnthonyTodd FronbergJennifer GriffinEllie Leeper MorrisonTawana Timberlake*Monica Trevino-Ortega*Rose Trujillo-FerreiraOlivia VillaGerald WilminkLaverne WitherspoonSandra Hernandez Yedor

SeattleJovelle BlackwellKim GrgichAndria Michelle Hoyle*Kali Jaeger*

South FloridaViviana DimicovaRita GreenAbigail Hofeldt*

TorontoSyed Sumair AlamDarya DavariPeggy Sue Deaven-SmiltnieksSamantha DiamondCole Douglas*Rita Elias*Lauren GenzEmile Kambele*Hamza Khan*Mia MacfarlaneOlga OkhrimenkoKatya Ramos*Kyle RobertsHeidi RuggierAnia Taubenfligel

Washington, D.C.Roxanne CarneBarnette HolstonJoy Kingsley-IbehKerri LarkinDana MatassaCharles MillerEllery PlowmanFrederique Stephanie

* associate member

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