Nothing but Excellence at the ACE Awards Gala

The night was a whirlwind at the 25th annual Accessories Council Excellence Awards gala—full of beauty, fashion, and excellence, and all observed with social distanced respect towards others. Held at Cipriani in New York City on November 2nd, the venue encompassed the grace of the evening with its high ceilings and grand entrance.

The ACE awards pay homage to those who have positively impacted the world of accessories. Fashion industry leaders, press, and retailers came together to celebrate the significant contributions made to the industry. As this year marked the 25th Anniversary of the ACE Awards, the council celebrated by recognizing the dynamic changes of the past year and repositioning the awards to pay tribute to the heroes of the industry.  Categories included those who have done something remarkable in the areas of: “Diversity & Inclusion,” “Covid Relief Efforts,” “Sustainability,” and “Ongoing Charitable Companies.”  

I was one of the student volunteers attending, who was responsible for helping guests find their table number if necessary.

At the welcome table, there were complimentary masks that were donated by Violet & Brooks. The council provided green, yellow, and red ribbons—each representing a level of comfortability for a guest. If a guest chose a green ribbon, then they were comfortable with hugs and handshakes. Yellow represented elbows only, and red was for no contact and social distance. Most people took a ribbon, either pinning it to their chest or having it poked out of a pocket, on a purse, or a jacket. This small detail added to the level of care coming from the Accessories Council.

Everyone who entered the venue was required to be vaccinated, as per the New York City Covid-19 regulations. The entire event was focused on Covid safety and respect towards others, leaving me impressed at the level of consideration the staff and security had towards the regulations, and the steps that they took to go beyond what was required.

When it came to the program and the beautiful speeches, Covid safety was again recognized, along with sustainability and generosity. There weren’t just honorees this year, but heroes and one super-hero.

The first hero to be awarded was Christian Siriano. He spoke of his own design house and how he and his team sewed and donated over 1,000 masks to the city of New York. He also spoke of how much he’s grown and learned about himself as a designer during the pandemic. His speech was both witty and beautiful. Many other heroes were honored that night with an award. This includes LaQuan Smith, Crocs, Allen Edmonds/Caleres, and many others.

However, the superhero of the night was Iris Apfel, being recognized for her use of accessories and how she has impacted the industry. And it was seen through her fabulous lime green and turquoise pantsuit with matching shoes, chunky jewelry, and glasses.

As the night came to a close, I noticed how many guests were hugging goodbye, and how many times I heard “It was wonderful to see you again.” Many of the guests and board members had not seen each other in roughly 18 months, since this was the first major event for them since the pandemic began. Some of the guests and board members had not even met in real life because everything was virtual.

The feeling of community and appreciation for the fashion industry, as they all experienced this moment together, was an irresistible thing to witness, for anyone who attended. It was an amazing example of how excellence isn’t only awarded in new designs, but it’s awarded in being able to overcome an obstacle together and helping those around you through it.