FASHION
AAFA Names Joseph Abboud ‘Person of the Year’
Joseph Abboud has been creating men’s fashion for more than 30 years with timeless style seen in his namesake brand and in his creative vision for several leading menswear stores.
With that in mind, the American Apparel & Footwear Association has named Abboud the 2016 “Person of the Year.” The award is being presented to the designer at the AAFA’s 38th annual American Images Awards in New York on May 24.
“From his early beginnings to his recent return to the runway, Joseph has championed American style and artisanship, and we’re proud to have him represent our industry,” said Rick Helfenbein, AAFA’s president and chief executive.
Since he was 16, Abboud has been passionate about fashion. He started his career in menswear at Louis of Boston and, later, Polo Ralph Lauren. In 1987, he launched his own self-named label and soon was garnering awards. He is the only designer to win the “Menswear Designer of the Year” two years in a row (in 1989 and 1990) from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Abboud joined Tailored Brands Inc. as its chief creative director in December 2012. The following year, Abboud was reunited with his namesake brand when Tailored Brands acquired JA Holding Inc., the parent company of the Joseph Abboud brand.
The designer then relaunched his label and set out to design sophisticated, modern-American lifestyle collections selling at its own online shopping site and later at the Joseph Abboud flagship store in New York.
Abboud, as creative director of Tailored Brands, oversees creative for the company’s nameplates of Men’s Wearhouse, Moores Clothing for Men, K&G and Jos. A. Bank, totaling 1,700 stores nationwide.
Other 2016 American Image awards and honorees include BBC International as company of the year, Shinola as retailer of the year, Christian Siriano as designer of the year and Iris Apfel as fashion maverick.
