L.A. Fashion Awards Closes N.Y. Fashion Week
NEW YORK—The L.A. Fashion Awards lit up Times Square during the Nasdaq stock market closing bell ceremony on the final day of New York Fashion Week.
The event was held Sept. 15 at the Nasdaq MarketSite at 43rd and Broadway, where it was broadcast on a large-screen display outside, as well as through national and international television outlets.
“It’s the closing day of New York Fashion Week, and while New York may be fashion’s mecca, Los Angeles is fashion’s home,” said Jenn Uuml;ner, executive producer of the L.A. Fashion Awards. “It’s a $22 billion business in the Los Angeles area, with more apparel industry employment than anywhere else in the United States.”
The ceremony, which is held at the opening and closing of the market day, celebrates important milestones and events, primarily for listed companies.
“The retail and apparel business is very important to Nasdaq,” said Silvia Davi, senior managing director, corporate communications, for the stock market. “We have a number of different companies listed in this sector, and it’s always a sector that we try to bring visibility to.”
Uuml;ner coordinated the ceremony with Nasdaq, a sponsor of the L.A. Fashion Awards, to help recognize the talent and strength of the Southern California fashion community. The ceremony included some of the area’s innovative design talent: Kristopher Enuke of Oligo Tissew; John Whitledge of Trovata (a Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award nominee last year and a recent CFDA/ VOGUE Fashion Fund recipient); Dov Charney of American Apparel (2005 L.A. Fashion Awards winner for marketing excellence); and Corinne Grassini of Society for Rational Dress (a 2006 MAFI nominee). Maribel Aber, vice president of the Nasdaq MarketSite, presented Uuml;ner with a commemorative crystal plaque to celebrate the event. Several notables joined Uuml;ner and the designers on stage for the ringing of the closing bell, including Alan Klein, president and publisher of Los Angeles magazine; Bob Milot, Saturn regional divisional marketing manager; Eric Landheer, managing director for the Nasdaq stock market; and California Apparel News Fashion Editor N. Jayne Seward, who is a member of the L.A. Fashion Awards nominating committee.
The group then moved to the nearby Hotel QT for an after-party to celebrate the evening. The market close was picked up live by several broadcast outlets, including CNBC, CNBC Asia, CNN International, CNN Pipeline, Report on Business from Canada, New Tang Dynasty TV, Bloomberg and Bloomberg Brazil. The second annual L.A. Fashion Awards will be Oct. 20 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
—N. Jayne Seward
