AAFA has awarded its American Image Awards

AAFA will award them on April 26 to Chip Bergh, Gap, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Prabal Gurung and Third Love

01.19.2022.- The AAFA (American Apparel & Footwear Association) has awarded its American Image Awards to various brands and professionals in the denim sector that stand out for their sustainability. The awards will be presented on April 26 in a ceremony that will take place at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

Sustainability - and really all three elements of ESG (environment, social and corporate governance) - is at the core of everything we do in the apparel and footwear industry today," says Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the AAFA-. One consequence of this is our tribute to the laureates for the American Image Awards. It is no longer enough to say that a company values sustainability. Today's employees and consumers look at our actions, both individually and collectively, and how they will improve our world. This year's honorees are leading the denim industry in terms of sustainable practices. We are delighted to celebrate your efforts.

The American Image Awards, Lamar added, have always been about excellence. In a new climate, dominated by a global pandemic and an increasingly challenging business and environmental environment, innovation and stewardship remain paramount. The 2022 Honorees are true trailblazers, powering their employees and peers through far-reaching supply chains to ensure meaningful contributions to the US and global economies, our communities, and the future of the fashion industry as a whole.

The five winners

The Person of the Year award went to Chip Bergh, Chairman and CEO of Levi Strauss. A two-time Rivet 50 recipient and one of Fortune Magazine's World's Best Leaders in 2019, Bergh has led the turnaround and expansion and growing sustainability of Levi Strauss since 2011. In 2021, he announced that he would introduce a circular jeans 501 and increased its use of cotton alternatives such as hemp and Circulose. It also established a pilot program for Stony Creek Color's plant-based pre-reduced indigo.

The Company of the Year award has been given to the Gap group, on behalf of which it will be collected by Sonia Syngal, its CEO. Under the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta brands, the company's net sales in fiscal 2020 were $13.8 billion.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which has led the drafting and dissemination of the Jeans Redesign program, already adopted today by many denim brands, has received the Eco-Leadership of the Year award. His initiative, in effect, leads international efforts to end waste and pollution by creating a circular economy. In it, products are used more, are manufactured with safer components and are recyclable or renewable.

The Designer of the Year award went to Prabal Gurung, who manufactures the women's collections for his luxury brand of the same name in the city of Nueva Yrok.

The Maverick of the Year award has been given to ThirdLove, a brand of underwear and digital sportswear. She is personified by Heidi Zak, its co-founder and CEO. Known for her Fit Finder quiz, she offers her clients a 3D fit and style experience through her virtual fitting room.

+ Info: https://www.americanimageawards.org//