AAFA American Image Awards Honor Claudio Del Vecchio, Holt Renfrew

by William Buckley

Last night, the American Apparel and Footwear Association held their 37th annual American Image Awards at 583 Park Avenue.

The event, hosted by a hilarious Debi Mazar, honored a diverse group of fashion insiders for their contributions to the industry. Awards were given to Claudio Del Vecchio, CEO Brooks Brothers; Diane Sullivan, CEO Brown Shoe; Holt Renfrew, Retailer of the Year, Kelly Osbourne, Fashion Maverick; Cynthia Rowley, Designer of the Year; Ruben & Isabel Toledo, Award Designers.

While the night’s comedy gold included, but was not limited to Mazar’s congratulation of Holt Renfrew CEO Mark Derbyshire on his use of bold color in his clothing line, and Kelly Osbourne’s heckling of Derbyshire to pick up her new clothing line, proceeds from the event benefited Mercy Ships, whose hospital ship provides state-of-the-art care to those in desperate need, free of charge. Mazar offered some profound observations about how lucky we all were to be there, and we couldn’t help but agree: a wonderful evening, supporting Mercy Ships and the apparel and footwear industries.

P.s. While she doesn’t do menswear, Cynthia Rowley’s incredible acceptance video, played before she took the stage and featuring some of the people who have helped her along the way, is a must watch.