Everyone You Can Think of Was at the Third Annual Fashion Trust U.S. Awards
When it comes to fashion’s buzziest nights in Los Angeles, the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards has quickly become a contender. What began in 2023 as the U.S. offshoot of the Saudi-born initiative has now hit its third annual stride—and with a significantly expanded guest list and production budget. Held at The Lot at Formosa, an expansive industrial venue outfitted with pink carpet and Fiji-sponsored activations, the evening was as much about emerging design as it was about sheer star power.
Host Keke Palmer, in a vintage Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013 black silk gown adorned with sequins and feathers, set the tone for the night: glamorous, celebratory, and fashion-savvy. "We re here to celebrate the visionaries," she said as she welcomed the crowd, which included a healthy mix of Hollywood, high fashion, and everything in between.
Founder and co-chair Tania Fares opened the evening with a message about resilience in design: “Talent alone is not enough without access, guidance, and support. Visionary, creative [people] struggle to survive. That’s why Fashion Trust U.S. exists — to uplift the independent designers who take risks and shape the future of fashion.”
The awards distributed $500,000 in grants across five categories. Stylist Law Roach, in a black Maison Margiela Artisanal look, announced the Ready-To-Wear Award winner, Rachel Scott, the force behind Diotima, whose crochet-laced tailoring is gaining cult status. Roach also made news of his own, telling the audience he was officially “un-retiring” from styling full-time.
The Graduate Award, presented by St. John alongside St. John president Lauren Parrish Walker, went to Patrick Taylor, a recent Parsons MFA graduate already on the radar of major editors and stylists.
The Accessories Award was delivered by Colman Domingo, a front-runner for best-dressed of the night in a custom Bode ensemble dripping with embellishment. “It’s the details that truly complete the picture,” he said, before announcing Dani Griffiths of CLYDE as the winner — a designer known for hand-sculpted hats and leather goods that lean poetic and modern.
Ciara, in a sheer black Dundas look layered over a custom LaQuan Smith bodysuit, awarded the Jewelry Prize to Beck, while Kate Hudson — a vision in a Harbison Studio white gown punctuated by architectural bows — presented the Sustainability Award to Kwame Adusei, the Ghanaian-born, L.A.-based designer making sculptural tailoring the talk of the West Coast.
The evening also introduced a new category: the Honorary Award, which went to Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent. Presenting the award was longtime muse Hailey Bieber, in a custom Saint Laurent plum halter gown with a dramatic open back and a perfectly coordinated oxblood lip — a look that was very L.A. night glamour.
Beyond the winners, the red carpet was its own moment. Julia Fox turned heads (as she does) in a sculptural printed Marni Spring/Summer 2025 trumpet dress with an exaggerated mermaid hem and a matching hat that could’ve doubled as stage decor. Gabrielle Union shimmered in a sheer Celia Kritharioti Couture Spring 2025 rhinestone-covered gown. Lori Harvey brought a dash of drama in a leopard print drop-waist number, and Kerry Washington stunned in a gold sequin Burberry gown straight off the Spring/Summer 2025 runway.
Also spotted: Mandy Moore, in a nude Lapointe skirt set glittering with tonal crystal embroidery; Greta Lee in sculptural Loewe; and Amelia Gray Hamlin, continuing her It-girl reign in a see-through, body-skimming archival Versace look.
No Fashion Trust U.S. event is complete without a surprise performance. This year’s moment came courtesy of Natasha Bedingfield, who took to the stage mid-dinner for a surprise rendition of her 2004 anthem “Unwritten.” It wasn’t long before the entire room — stylists, designers, actors, influencers alike — was out of their seats, arms in the air.
As the awards wrapped and guests trickled out, many lingered by the bar or outside under the string-lit terrace. The evening had confirmed what insiders have already sensed: Fashion Trust U.S. is no longer an upstart on the fashion awards circuit. It’s a mainstay — and perhaps the most fun, forward-thinking one of them all.
STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images1/24Keke Palmer
STEFANIE KEENAN/Getty Images2/24Lucy Hale and Zooey Deschanel
