The Vilcek Foundation, which awards immigrants and cultural leaders in the arts and sciences, has presented prizes to 14 individuals working in fashion, art and biomedical research.
These foreign-born prizewinners hail from 11 countries including Austria, Canada, Colombia, France, India, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Togo, Turkey and Vietnam.
Presented annually since 2006, the Vilcek Foundation prizes honor immigrant contributions to societal advancement in the U.S., and recognize excellence in the arts and sciences. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded $9.6 million to individuals whose perspectives, creativity and vision have enriched the U.S.
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“From uncovering new biological pathways for treating diseases to creating new bio-based, sustainable textiles, immigrants in the U.S. are developing innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems,” said Rick Kinsel, president of the Vilcek Foundation. “The Vilcek Prizes not only recognize outstanding immigrant achievements in the arts, biomedical science and art history, but are investments in the future of American progress as well.”
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In addition to award winners in biomedical research and art history, the foundation awarded nine prizes in fashion.
The Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Fashion and Culture honor immigrants documenting fashion through writing, research, curation, styling and image making.
Tanya Melendez-Escalante has received the $100,000 Vilcek Prize for Fashion & Culture for her work as an arts administrator and fashion curator at The Museum at FIT, where she develops exhibitions and programs that reveal the diversity of talent from across Latin America. She grew up in Mexico City and moved to the U.S. to complete her MA in museum studies: costume and textiles from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
The four recipients of the $50,000 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Culture are Diego Bendezu, Jalan and Jibril Durimel, and Natalie Nudell.
Bendezu was awarded for his visual storytelling that centers on Latin American and immigrant narratives. Originally from Peru, he now works as a fashion photographer capturing underrepresented communities globally.
Twin brothers and creative partners Jalan and Jibril Durimel were recognized for their ability to present fashion as part of a broader exploration of fictitious storytelling, color and light. The photographers were born in France to parents from Guadeloupe, and raised in Miami and St. Maarten.
Nudell, who was born in Canada to European and Middle Eastern immigrant parents, is a fashion and textile historian at FIT. She created the Fashion Calendar Research Database, which details how underrepresented communities are integral to the foundation of the industry.
The Vilcek Prizes in Fashion & Design highlight immigrants elevating fashion through design practice, material innovation, makeup and hairstyling.
Peter Do has won the $100,000 Vilcek Prize in Fashion & Design for his ability to create versatile clothing designs for everyday life without sacrificing durability or comfort. Born in Vietnam, he moved ot the suburbs of Philadelphia when he was 14, which exposed him to the turbulent life of immigrants in the U.S.
The three recipients of the $50,000 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design are Jacques Agbobly, Marcelo Gutierrez and Uyen Tran.
Born in Togo, Agbobly was insired to pursue a career in fashion after witnessing their mother braiding hair to support their new life in Chicago. A full-time designer and professor at Parsons School of Design, Agbobly continues to build an American fashion house centered on the multiplicity of Black identity while carrying forward the craftsmanship and memory of Togo.
Gutierrez, an immigrant from Colombia, has won for his makeup artistry. Tran, who hails from Da Nang, Vietnam, was awarded the prize for her leadership in the development of sustainable products that support the health of people and the planet without sacrificing quality. She founded TomTex Inc., named after the Vietnamese word for plants, which transforms mushrooms and organic materials into fabrics that mimic the beauty and performance of leather without plastics or toxins.