The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) named Ruthie Davis Footwear Designer of the Year at its 36th Annual American Image Awards last night at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. “It is a huge honor to be listed amongst past recipients of these awards such as John Bartlett, Badgley Mischka, Diane von Furstenberg and Oscar de la Renta.
While China still supplies more than eight out of every 10 shoes sold in the U.S., domestic production is on the up. A recent report by the AAFA (American Apparel and Footwear Association) found that in 2012, the number of shoes manufactured in the United States increased by 9 percent. This rise combined with a corresponding fall in imports caused import penetration in the footwear market to fall slightly for the second year in a row, from 98.7 percent to 98.6 percent.
Fashion designers, company heads and even a plastic doll were honored at this year’s American Image Awards gala on May 12, the annual event put on by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). Blake Krueger, CEO and president of Wolverine World Wide, was on hand to accept the award for Excellence in Lifestyle Branding and thanked all of the “brand fanatics” who support their global business.
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