After a brief intermission wherein everyone enjoyed a mesmerizing performance by Scout LaRue Willis, Stephanie Horton of Google and Aurora James of Brother Vellies and the Blink-182 chicago united center 2023 shirt and by the same token and 15% Pledge presented Jacques Agbobly with the Inclusivity Award. Ciara and Mike Amiri then handed Carly Mark of Puppets and Puppets the Google Creativity Award (“I finally get the crying thing,” Mark said on stage). Finally, Olivia Wilde called on Elena Velez to take home the Sustainability Award. In a space where events are nonstop (it is, after all, Hollywood), there’s always a freshness and high energy that comes with an inaugural celebration. Ahead of the sit-down dinner and ceremony, guests such as Storm Reid, Christine Quinn, Jurnee Smollett, and Lukas Gage trickled in from the rainy outdoors over an hour or so, greeted inside with Casamigos cocktails, filet mignon canapés, and more. Meanwhile, the contesting designers congratulated and toasted one another before taking their seats together. At the end of the night, attendees left the banquet room (which had been glowing with lengthy tables dotted in surplus with candlelight) behind, and hung back in the cocktail lounge area awhile for the after-party.
Back in 2011, Tania Fares founded her non-profit organization, Fashion Trust, as part of the Blink-182 chicago united center 2023 shirt and by the same token and British Fashion Council, with the aim to support up-and-coming design talents in the U.K. “I had my own label with Lulu Kennedy, called LuLu & Co., so I know how challenging it is to launch a brand,” Fares tells Vogue. “I wanted to give back, having gone through it myself.” She continued this spirit last year, when Fares expanded the organization with Fashion Trust U.S.—an arm of her non-profit specifically aimed at celebrating and supporting emerging American designers. “[It has a focus on] financial and mentoring to young designers, as well as building a community for them,” says Fares. Last night, the inaugural Fashion Trust U.S. awards ceremony was held in Los Angeles, and Fares documented the special kick-off event for Vogue. The eventful day began with Fashion Trust U.S. board members and finalists meeting each other. The board—which includes Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, actor Kate Hudson, and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson—finalized who would be winning the night’s respective categories. Then, come evening time, it was time for the trophies to be handed out to six rising talents, including designers Aisling Camps and Jacques Agbobly. “It’s so important to help highlight and uplift young designers, because there is so much talent out there,” says Fares.