The American Apparel & Footwear Association Names Ulla Johnson Designer of the Year
The American Apparel & Footwear Association has announced the honorees for its 2025 American Image Awards, which will occur on April 29th at New York’s Gotham Hall. This annual event uplifts visionaries across various segments of the apparel and footwear sector, including design, production, and retail. Moreover, it provides funding for the Council of Fashion Designers American Foundation.
Nominated parties include the multinational retail company Target, named as ‘Retailer of the Year’, and American Textile Co. which will receive ‘Company of the Year’. The acclaimed designer Ulla Johnson has been recognized as the ‘Designer of the Year’, while D’Wayne Edwards, president at Pensole Lewis College, has been acknowledged as ‘Fashion Maverick’. The Apparel Impact Institute has been awarded as ‘Eco-Steward of the Year’, and Katherine Gold, CEO of GoldBug, a firm that crafts high-quality products for children, has been distinguished as ‘Trailblazer’.
Target has notably democratized fashion by collaborating with nearly 200 renowned names in the fashion industry. Ulla Johnson, the Designer of the Year, demonstrated her commitment to investing in her supply chain and working with artisans all over the world, including in Peru, Kenya, India, and Uruguay, to uplift and support often female-led communities in rural areas.
Lance Ruttenberg, president and CEO of American Textile Co. is responsible for leading a century-old family-owned company that creates products to enhance sleep quality. He will accept the ‘Company of the Year’ award. The ‘Eco-Steward of the Year’ award will be presented to Lewis Perkins, the CEO and president of Apparel Impact Institute, which identifies, funds, scales, and assesses the environmental impact solutions provided by the apparel and footwear sectors.
D’Wayne Edwards, who has designed over 500 shoe styles for numerous athletes and recording artists and owned over 50 patents, will accept the ‘Fashion Maverick’ award. Katherine Gold of GoldBug will be honored for her dedication to philanthropy, advocacy, and building global partnerships.
Commenting on the event, Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the AAFA, stated, “As we approach a half of century of hosting the American Image Awards, I am proud to reflect on the breadth, innovation and reach of this industry, as well as the individuals who drive it. Collectively and individually, this year’s honorees have forged a legacy of accomplishment, inclusion and empowerment, which will be vital as we tackle pressing challenges in such areas a supply chain flexibility, talent and mentorship, healthy communities, industry accountability and global sustainability. We are excited to celebrate the next generation of designers, manufacturers, supply chain partners and circularity pioneers.”
Steven Kolb, the CEO of the CFDA, added, “The longevity of the AAFA-CFDA Foundation partnership — now in our ninth year — allows us to inspire our unique membership to align on and amplify future-focused impact year-over-year. Thank you to AAFA for another year of partnership and investment.”