For the Neiman Marcus Group, its own awards season happens next month.
Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, will receive the Neiman Marcus Award for Creative Impact in the Field of Fashion, and accessories designer Amina Muaddi will receive the Neiman Marcus Award for Innovation in the Field of Fashion.
Last November, the Neiman Marcus Group unveiled a new “NMG Awards” platform including the Creative Impact and Innovation Awards as well as the revival of the prestigious Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion after a six-year hiatus. Brunello Cucinelli will receive the Distinguished Service Award for his “profound influence on luxury lifestyle fashion and commitment to humanistic capitalism,” as first reported by WWD.
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The three honorees will be celebrated on March 5 during Paris Fashion Week with an event attended by other brand partners and past NM award recipients.
“These awards will be given annually,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, chief executive officer of the Neiman Marcus Group. “Our customers want to hear the news about storied fashion houses being renewed and new fashion houses breaking through.”
Aside from demonstrating tangible business success, van Raemdonck said the criteria for selecting the award winners is also based on their commitment to social responsibility, being purpose-driven and how they work with their teams and their communities.
Van Raemdonck explained that the NMG Awards aren’t just for the sake of giving out awards or publicity. He said they bring another dimension to his company’s luxury strategy and will help strengthen partnerships with designers. The designers receiving NM Awards will provide exclusives to the store and will be merchandised and marketed more intensively by Neiman’s. Cucinelli, for example, has designed the “Icon Collection” comprised of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, shoes and bags, which will be exclusively available in 10 Neiman Marcus stores and online in April.
The two new awards, said van Raemdonck, “celebrate the pacesetters of creativity and innovation in luxury today. Our investment in propelling their work forward through the Neiman Marcus Awards platform reflects our commitment to furthering our relationships with brand partners and cultivating deep relationships with high value customers.”
“Jonathan Anderson’s ability to drive industry trends and forge his own creative path makes him an unparalleled visionary,” said Lana Todorovich, chief merchandising officer of Neiman Marcus. “His connection to the arts and subject of surrealism offers a daring and refreshing design perspective,” in both men’s and women’s categories.” She said Neiman’s plans unique activations and immersive experiences with Loewe.
The Neiman’s executives also said Anderson’s modern take on the brand’s rich history — Loewe was created in Spain in 1846 — is focused on craft and culture through an intellectual yet playful approach bringing the house commercial success.
“Thank you to Neiman Marcus for acknowledging the incredible journey we’ve had at Loewe over the past decade, and of course, I thank my team,” Anderson said in a statement. “Together we’ve been able to renew a house that’s over 175 years old, powered by a shared sense of curiosity and passion for modern craft.” Coincidentally, Rihanna wore Loewe during her halftime performance at Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Neiman’s credited Amina Muaddi for “an expedited rise in the luxury industry. Her innovative footwear designs are instantly recognizable, combining unique shapes with volume and unexpected materials. After launching her first official collection in 2018, Neiman Marcus quickly recognized her talent and launched her line in fall 2019 to great acclaim. Since then, Muaddi’s footprint with the luxury retailer has more than tripled and her sales trajectory continues to climb.”
“It is rare in our industry for a young brand to find such immediate success as Amina Muaddi,” Todorovich said. “Amina has not only mastered a distinctive aesthetic and cosmopolitan sensibility crafted for the modern-day woman; she is also an accomplished business leader.”
The Amina Muaddi luxury accessories brand, founded in 2018 by the eponymous Jordanian and Romanian designer, “combines centuries of shoe-making expertise with a modern global fashion perspective, timeless quality meeting cutting-edge designs,” Neiman’s said in its statement.
“I was so thrilled to start working with Neiman Marcus soon after I launched my first collection,” said Muaddi said. “Their commitment to begin our partnership very early in the brand’s life helped us expand in the U.S. and connect with their significant clientele and wonderful community.”
The Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion was created by Carrie Marcus Neiman and Stanley Marcus 85 years ago. It has been given to more than 150 luxury fashion luminaries including Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Grace Kelly, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Salvatore Ferragamo, Carolina Herrera, Estée Lauder and Baccarat, among others.