This year’s American Image Awards, hosted by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) on June 21, 2021, celebrated a year of environmental sustainability, diversity and digital innovation within the clothing and footwear industry. The Coresight Research team attended alongside retail, apparel, footwear and fashion accessory executives. At the virtual event, the AAFA recognized individuals and companies for their exemplary leadership, excellence and outstanding achievements. We present three insights from the event, covering the key themes of diversity, sustainability and digital innovation.

The AAFA American Image Awards: Three Key Insights

1. Diversity The American Image Awards highlighted the importance of diversity by honoring the work of Sandrine Charles and Lindsay Peoples Wagner with the Fashion Maverick award. Charles and Wagner are the co-founders of the Black in Fashion Council, an organization created to support the advancement of Black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry. The vision of these entrepreneurs is for the beauty and fashion space to be one that is open, equitable and representative of all groups. Likewise, Gabriela Hearst, Designer of the Year, was lauded for the social impact of her work creating empowering clothing for women. [caption id="attachment_129072" align="aligncenter" width="725"] Fashion Maverick awardees
Source: American Image Awards [/caption]   2.  Sustainability Sustainability, transparency and collaboration were also at the heart of this year’s awards. AAFA introduced the new Eco-Steward of the Year award, which was won by Amina Razvi of the Sustainable Development Coalition. Razvi works to raise awareness of the severity of climate change, and stresses the importance of collaboration and transparency between organizations to address the systemic environmental challenges faced by the fashion industry. Speakers including Stephen Lamar, President and CEO of AAFA, Colin Browne, COO of Under Armour, and Sarah Clarke, Chief Supply Chain Officer at PVH Corp., described the pandemic-led disruption to global supply chains and brick-and-mortar stores, and the need to shape the fashion industry’s recovery sustainably and in a manner that supports all stakeholders. In addition, Hearst was praised for spearheading the use of sustainable materials such as deadstock fabric and other recycled materials in her clothing designs, as well as for hosting the world’s first carbon-neutral runway show. [caption id="attachment_129073" align="aligncenter" width="725"] Gabriela Hearst’s Carbon Neutral 2019 Show
Source: Company website [/caption]   3. Digital Innovation The Digital Entrepreneur of the Year award recognizes excellence in clothing and footwear e-commerce, a sector that has seen rapid change amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The award was presented to Liyia Wu, Founder and CEO of ShopShops, a cross-border live-selling platform that flourished during 2020’s lockdowns. Wu seeks to redefine the connection between the brand and the consumer, and likened the shopping experience to a treasure hunt, which offers both product discovery and entertainment. The digitalization of the shopping experience was also highlighted by the Retail Innovator of the Year award, won by Denise Incandela, Executive Vice President of Walmart. Incandela expressed the company’s interest in the potential of “virtual try-on” for shoppers on Walmart’s digital platform, and announced its acquisition of Zeekit, a leading virtual fitting room. Rocked by the pandemic, the clothing and footwear industry has embraced digital innovation. Digitalization, however, is more than just a lifeline, and offers fashion retailers the opportunity to redefine the shopping experience and set new standards of environmental responsibility as the industry rebuilds itself. [caption id="attachment_129074" align="aligncenter" width="725"] ShopShops app advertisement
Source: American Image Awards [/caption]