Norma Kamali, Kenneth Cole, and Rebecca Hessel Cohen of LoveShackFancy Were Celebrated at the Fashion School’s Annual Gala in New York
Norma Kamali, Kenneth Cole, and LoveShackFancy’s Rebecca Hessel Cohen were recognized by the Fashion Institute of Technology at its annual awards gala held in New York City. The event also showcased the Future of Fashion runway show, presenting leading looks from the Fashion Design BFA class of 2024 with Carolyn Murphy as the host. The gala, presented by Macy’s, aimed to raise funds for the FIT Foundation to support future generations of FIT students.
Kamali received the Outstanding Alumni award from Brooklyn Museum’s senior curator of fashion and material culture Matthew Yokobosky. In her acceptance speech, the designer said, “Determination is more important than even talent, that and the help of the universe and all its pushing and prodding, I am still on my path and the universe is still keeping me in line with my purpose.”
Cole was honored with the Social Impact award, with talk show host Tamron Hall announcing the establishment of the Kenneth Cole Social Impact Award for exceptional students in that area. The industry veteran emphasized fashion as “a means to not just define how we present ourselves to the world, but also a vehicle to positively impact it,” further characterizing it as “a powerful, creative way to respectfully and peacefully communicate our commonality as well as our differences.”
Hessel Cohen took home the Entrepreneurship award presented by fashion specialist Jordan Roth. The LoveShackFancy founder and creative director said that her passion for storytelling storytelling “led to dreaming, dreaming led to creating and hard work led to an unexpected new business that has brought generations of girls and women together. But working hard is in my DNA – it’s all I have ever wanted to do.”
Wednesday’s event was attended by industry figures such as B Michael, Victor Glemaud, and Mara Hoffman, alongside models and activists like Amber Valletta and Candice Huffine. Yokobosky shared that Kamali spoke about her use of AI in design and her plans to debut an AI-designed swimwear collection in June.
The Future of Fashion runway show featured 82 designs from students representing 20 countries and 21 U.S. states. The designs celebrated personal stories and themes of sustainability, gender fluidity, and size inclusivity, highlighting the diversity and talent within the FIT class of 2024.
Cole emphasized the power of fashion to positively impact the world, while Hessel Cohen shared how storytelling and hard work led to the creation of LoveShackFancy. Kamali stressed the importance of determination and discipline in achieving success in the fashion industry, inspiring the next generation of designers.