ACE 2025: The Winners
The Accessories Council congratulates our 2025 honorees! They have all thrived during challenging times and we honor their pioneering spirits, determination, and creativity. Their hard work has been noticed by many and we are delighted to recognize their accomplishments.
New Balance
For over a century, New Balance has been a beacon of function-first footwear; an all-American brand synonymous with craftsmanship, comfort, and authenticity. Today, the Boston-based company has not only preserved those core values but transformed them into a magnetic force for modern consumers and collaborators alike. Read more HERE.
Movado
Few brands in the watch industry have mastered the balance of heritage and innovation quite like Movado. With a legacy dating back to 1881 and an unwavering commitment to modernity, Movado continues to define Swiss watchmaking with a forward-thinking approach. Read more HERE.
Stuart Weitzman
Every step taken at Stuart Weitzman today makes a bold statement - one that blends creative storytelling with data-driven insight to powerfully transform the luxury footwear space. With nearly two decades of expertise guiding some of the world’s most beloved beauty and fashion brands, the team behind Stuart Weitzman is reshaping the narrative with consumer-first campaigns, innovative product design, and a renewed commitment to empowering women. Read more HERE.
Reed Krakoff, at John Hardy
Reed Krakoff has long been a transformative force in American fashion. With three CFDA Accessories Designer of the Year awards and a storied career that includes reinventing Coach and serving as chief artistic officer at Tiffany & Co., he has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to breathe new life into iconic brands. Now, as the creative chairman of John Hardy, Krakoff is bringing his signature blend of modernism, artistry, and clarity of vision to a 50-year-old heritage house. Read more HERE.
STAUD
When Jon Zeiders first met Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto through a mutual connection at Burch Creative Capital, he sensed the electricity instantly. The brand’s handbags were taking off, the creative vision was sharp, and the energy felt right. “It was a perfect match,” he said, one that was destined for something far greater than the sum of its parts. From the outset, STAUD wasn’t just building a brand. They were architecting a lifestyle. Read more HERE.
Bethann Hardison
There are few in fashion who can say they changed the industry. But Bethann Hardison — muse, model, businesswoman, activist, mother, documentarian, and most notably, fearless advocate — has done that and more during her five-decade journey in fashion. Her tenure has been anything but linear; at every turn, she’s used her influence to champion inclusion and challenge the status quo, creating not just a legacy, but a living, breathing movement. Read more HERE.
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson has always lived life on her own terms. She first burst onto the scene in the 1960s with a vision too loud, too playful, too wild for fashion’s status quo — and never looked back. Johnson has lived countless lives — all of them iconic in their own way. From her early days disrupting downtown retail, to her viral TikToks, she has never toned herself down — not in life, and definitely not in fashion. But Betsey Johnson’s story isn’t just about staying power; it’s about changing the game, again and again. Read more HERE.
Debbi Hartley-Treisch, Nordstrom
When Debbi Hartley-Triesch assumed the role of Nordstrom’s executive vice president and general merchandise manager of Accessories and Beauty in 2021, adding Home in 2022, she didn’t just take on a title; she ignited a new era of innovation and elevated storytelling at one of the most respected names in retail. Read more HERE.
Printemps
In a breathtaking blend of heritage, hospitality, and high fashion, Printemps has arrived in New York — and the city is buzzing. The legendary French retailer officially opened its doors at One Wall Street, marking its debut in New York and ushering in a new era for experiential luxury shopping. Read more HERE.