SAN FRANCISCO — March 26, 2021 — The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) announced yesterday its American Image Award honorees to be celebrated virtually on June 21st. Celebrating Fashion’s Future, the AAFA stated that this year’s honorees exemplify leadership, excellence, and outstanding achievement in all sectors of the apparel and footwear industry, including design, manufacturing, and retail.

The honorees are: HanesBrands, Inc. – Company of the Year; Walmart – Retail Innovator of the Year; Gabriela Hearst – Designer of the Year; Black in Fashion Council (BIFC) – Fashion Maverick; and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) as the inaugural recipient of the Eco-Steward of the Year. Celebrating a fifth year in partnership, the gala benefits the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Foundation.

The association has launched the Eco-Steward of the Year award this year to honor the industry’s movement to accelerate its eco-journey and fashion’s contribution to protecting the future of our planet and its people.

“This spring, we will celebrate the brilliant thread of unity that our industry has rallied around for the past year. We are energized around new realities and confronting new challenges and opportunities,” said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA. “On June 21, we celebrate this industry’s future, the talents of our incredible honorees, and opportunities to empower.”

“I’m so proud to see the SAC’s work and achievements over the past decade recognized by AAFA and in the company of such incredible honorees,” said Amina Razvi, Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. “The progress we’ve made  would not be possible without our staff, Board, and members’ continuous dedication to our mission and we look forward to the next decade of collaborative action towards a transformed industry.”

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About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an industry-wide group of more than 250 leading apparel, footwear and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprofits, NGOs and academic institutions working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain. Leveraging the Higg Index suite of tools for the standardized measurement of value chain sustainability, the SAC is working to transform business for exponential impact.

The SAC was incorporated as a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011. In May 2019, the SAC spun-off the Higg Index technology platform to Higg, which delivers tools and services that help consumer goods businesses accelerate transformation for a more sustainable future. For more information, visit www.apparelcoalition.org.