DALLAS — An international crowd converged at the Dallas Fashion Awards held Oct. 23 to honor 15 vendors, as well as some fashion legends.
Winners in the women’s categories were Laundry by Shelli Segal for after five, Lilly Pulitzer for better classics, Casablanca for bridal, David Meister for bridge/designer, Juicy Couture for contemporary, AG Jeans for denim, Cosabella for intimate apparel, Mary Frances Accessories for accessories, Elle Jewelry for jewelry, Hot Kiss for junior contemporary and Tiffany Designs for prom/pageant.
In other categories, Mulberribush won for children’s wear, Seven For All Mankind for men’s contemporary/urban, Lacoste for men’s sportswear and Calvin Klein for men’s tailored clothing.
Retailers picked the winners in the competition, which recognizes vendors for design innovation and strong sales. Winners received the silver Femme trophy, along with a chocolate replica from the Hotel Crescent Court, which sponsored the evening along with Paper City magazine, Piper-Heidsieck champagne, Global Fashion News and the Hotel Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The black-tie ceremony also honored three noncompetitive DFA winners, all of which have built iconic brands with devout followings. The Fashion Excellence Award went to Missoni, which presented a runway presentation of its spring collection. The DMC also gave a 25th anniversary salute to John Loring, design director at Tiffany & Co., and honored Canadian designer Peter Nygard of Nygard International sportswear as Best of Scene, which is the DMC’s juried temporary show launched in March and held during the three biggest fashion markets.
Burton Tansky, president and chief executive officer at the Neiman Marcus Group, presented the Femme award to Vittorio Missoni and praised the Italian knit label for its vision and sense of style.
“I first met the Missoni family in 1974 and have fond memories of traveling to Italy to meet with them on buying trips,” Tansky said. “Tai and Rosita Missoni don’t just have a business, but a passion. Their ingenious sense of color and mastery of patterns is truly amazing. Neiman’s and Missoni are ideal business partners.”
Tai and Rosita Missoni thanked the crowd in a videotape made in Italy, and recalled first meeting Stanley Marcus and his buying team when they showed up one day and knocked on the door, asking to see some of the unusual knits that had just started to create a buzz in the fashion world.