2008 New York Fashion Walk of Fame Nominees Announced

New York Fashion Walk of FameNEW YORK, Feb 19, 2008 / FW/ — In New York’s 7th Avenue, nicknamed ‘Fashion Avenue’, from 41st Street to 35th Street is the New York Fashion Walk of Fame. Currently, there are 24 notable New York designers who have been given this honor, wherein decorative plaques honoring these designers are embedded in the sidewalks along the East Side of 7th Avenue.

Each plaque displays an original sketch by the designer, a brief description of the designer’s contribution to fashion and the designer’s signature. And this year, two fashion designers will be honored, as they become numbers 25 and 26 names in New York Fashion Walk of Fame.

HalstonFrom a list of 35 candidates, 145 industry professionals will vote to determine the 2008 honorees. Sponsored by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District (www.fashioncenter.com), a not-for-profit corporation established in 1993 to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of Manhattan’s Fashion District, the New York Fashion Walk of Fame 2008 honorees would be inducted in a star-studded affair during which the plaques will be unveiled.

To oversee the selection process for induction, The Fashion Center BID established a Fashion Walk of Fame Selections Committee as follows: Valerie Steele, Chairperson; Nichole Fischelis; Harold Koda; Kim Hastreiter; Marylou Luther; Phyllis Magidson; Patricia Mears; Lavelle Olexa; Sally Singer.

To ensure the utmost integrity in the final selection of inductees, ballots have been sent to 145 fashion industry business leaders, historians, archivists and curators. Selection is one from list of living designers; one from a list of deceased designers.

Below is the list of 2008 Nominees

Living Designers Deceased Designers
Carolina Herrera
Michael Kors
Judith Leiber
Bob Mackie
Mary McFaddin
Isaac Mizrahi
Narciso Rodriquez
Ralph Rucci
Arnold Scaasi
Anna Sui
Isabel Toledo�
Diane Von Furstenberg
Vera Wang
Yeohlee
Zoran
Donald Brroks
Tom Brigance
Hattie Carnegie
Oleg Cassini
Liz Claiborne
Herman Delman
Anne Forgarty
Sophie Gimbel
Elizabeth Hawes
Mr. John
Muriel King
Anne Lowe
Vera Maxwell
Clare Potter
Nettie Rosenstein
Carolyn Schnurer
Adele Simpson
Valentina
Sally Victor
Ben Zuckerman

Past inductees in the New York Walk of Fame include:

2000 – Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren. Halston, Rudi Gernreich, Claire McCardell, Norman Norell

2001 – Oscar Del La Renta, James Galanos, Donna Karan, Pauline Trigére, Bonnie Kashan, Giorgio Di Sant’ Angelo, Charles James, Anne Klein

2002 – Stephen Burrows, Marc Jacobs, Betsey Johnson, Norma Kamali, Lilly Daché, Perry Ellis, Mainbocher, Willi Smith