HARLEM’S FASHION ROW’S NIGHT OF LEGENDS

The towels and swimsuits were barely dry from Labor Day weekend when Brandice Daniels and Harlem’s Fashion Row presented its 17th Annual Fashion Show and Style Awards, “Night of Legends,” at the General Grant National Memorial in Manhattan on Tuesday, September 3rd.

The evening proved to be genuinely legendary, with fabulous clear, cool weather, perfect for fêting designers and fashion creatives of color. HFR CEO Brandice Daniels welcomed everyone and introduced the first legend of the night, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who intended to present the Icon of the Year award to supermodel Naomi Campbell, except that Campbell was not yet in attendance. Wintour had to be somewhere, so she made a gracious speech, and an equally gracious exit.  It was definitely one of those classic fashion moments, sure to be recalled for years to come.

Next up, actress Tracee Ellis Ross presented the Editor of the Year award to her best friend and editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, Samira Nasr. (Luckily, Harper’s is featuring Campbell in its September issue, so Nasr was able to pinch hit for Wintour when the supermodel finally showed up.) Film producer and actress Lena Waithe presented the stylist of the year award to costume designer and consultant Shiona Turini, and Corey Smith, LVMH’s head of diversity and inclusion, presented the Virgil Abloh Award to actress, singer, and creative director Teyana Taylor.

The awards presentation was followed by a gorgeous runway presentation featuring the work of three designers—destined to be legends themselves someday—Aaron Potts of A. Potts, Nicole Benefield of Nicole Benefield Portfolio, and Jimmy Latouché of Latouché.