Designer-turned-teacher Emil De John will be the recipient of this year's Phashion Phest Philadelphia Award.
Deputy City Representative Bonnie L. Grant made the announcement last night at a Phashion Phest Kick-Off Party at the Hyatt Regency at Penn's Landing.
The award, which is given by the City of Philadelphia, is intended to honor Philadelphians who have made significant contributions to the fashion industry, Grant said.
De John, who spent decades as a designer of women's, men's and children's clothing before becoming chairman of the fashion design department at Moore College of Art and Design, said he was thrilled when a letter from Mayor Street advised him of the award. Teaching, he said, is rewarding every day.
"Teaching the students has been a gift to me," he said. "I never envisioned anything I could enjoy more than designing, but this has become an amazing part of my life. I actually love coming to work."
The award will be presented Sept. 19 at Phashion Phest 2001, the eighth annual celebration of retail fashion in the Philadelphia area. Sharon Phillips Waxman of SPW Productions, the event's creator and producer, said that 23 stores from Haddonfield to King of Prussia would showcase their fall and winter fashions in the runway show that is the centerpiece of Phashion Phest. Everything from sportswear to evening wear will be featured.
In addition, salons, jewelry boutiques, and accessories stores will highlight trends for the new season during a cocktail reception before the fashion show.
New to Phashion Phest this year is a makeover contest, Waxman said. In preliminary competitions conducted by some of the event's sponsors, 10 winners will be chosen for hair-and-makeup makeovers at area salons. Their names will be announced at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Shops at Liberty Place. At the fashion show, the newly styled women will be introduced on the runway after the presentation of the Phashion Phest Philadelphia Award.
De John was a fashion designer for nearly 40 years, commuting daily to New York from his home in Wyncote or traveling the world to see his designs through production, before he joined Moore College's staff in 1997 to help train a new generation of designers.
