Hip Hop Takes Center Stage at the 16th Annual Harlem's Fashion Row

Kelly Rowland received the Fashion Icon Award, presented by her husband, Tim Weatherspoon. In his surprise tribute, he remarked, “Clothes are clothes until you put them on.”

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson was awarded Editor of the Year by Tonne Goodman, her fellow Vogue  colleague. In line with HFR’s dedication to mentorship and representation, Gabriella expressed, “It brings me great joy to be able to model possibility.”

Stella Jean received the Designer of the Year Award. Her acceptance speech extolled the power of community and solidarity, noting that her sisters “[Tamron Hall and Brandice Daniel reminded me that I’m not alone. And I never will be again.”

Acclaimed photographer Johnny Nuñez received the inaugural Hip Hop Trailblazer Award from Valeisha Butterfield, who acknowledged Nunez’s two-decade contribution to the culture as “stamping a moment in our time.”

Wayman and Micah received Stylists of the Year, presented by Harper Bazaar Editor-in-Chief Samira Nasr, noting that the duo understands fashion and “why it matters.” The business partners recounted the vision board session in Harlem a decade ago that catalyzed their successful careers.

A$AP Rocky received the Virgil Abloh Award presented by Anish Melwani, chairman and CEO of LVMH, and Gena Smith, chief human resource officer of LVMH North America. The rapper revealed the story of Abloh’s discovery of A$AP Mob, leading to the former LVMH creative director designing Rocky’s first album. Donning his signature “ghetto expressionism,” Rocky honored his hometown: “I can talk like this today because of Harlem.”

“I’m remixing it up this season. I have guys on the runway (which is new for me). My collection is slightly more tailored and sophisticated than I have been in the past. So, I’m remixing the old with the new. The collection is called ‘Duality.’” – Nicole Benefield, Designer, Nicole Benefield Portfolio

“I think music and fashion go hand in hand. My brand dresses the everyday woman that’s strong and very feminine, and you see that [aesthetic] in music, especially hip hop with female rappers in hip hop. So the relationship between music and fashion has been a major influence on my work.” Megan Smith, Designer, Megan Renee

“I always approach things through an unconventional lens. For me, it’s about unexpected expressions of gender. It’s about framing all body types as beautiful, all ages as beautiful. That’s ‘the remix’ that should have happened many moons ago.” – Aaron Potts, Designer