Hosted by Andreia Gibau, the first-ever ceremony will honor designers, models, beauty professionals and fashion media at Sony Hall in New York City.
By Top View TV Staff
Runway 7 is expanding its presence beyond the runway with the launch of the inaugural Runway 7 Fashion Awards.
The first-ever ceremony will take place Monday, September 14, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Sony Hall in New York City. Arriving immediately after Runway 7’s six-day New York Fashion Week season, the event will bring together designers, models, beauty professionals, photographers, performers, media leaders and other members of the global fashion community.
Andreia Gibau will host the invitation-only red-carpet gala, which will feature live entertainment, VIP hospitality and the announcement of the inaugural award recipients.
Recognizing the Entire Fashion Community
The Runway 7 Fashion Awards were created to celebrate the people responsible for shaping fashion both on and beyond the runway.
Honors will be presented across four principal fields: designers, hair and makeup, models and media. The complete awards program includes 19 subcategories representing the different creative disciplines that transform a designer’s vision into a complete fashion experience.
Designer categories will recognize achievements in emerging design, ready-to-wear, streetwear, swimwear, global heritage, sustainable and handmade fashion, eveningwear, womenswear, haute couture, custom design and bridal fashion.
Hair and makeup categories will celebrate professionals working across runway and editorial beauty. Modeling honors will recognize male and female talent, while media categories will spotlight fashion photographers and the image-makers documenting the industry’s most important moments.
“After 11 seasons of producing New York Fashion Week shows and working directly with designers, production teams and creative talent from around the world, we saw a clear opportunity to extend that work beyond the runway,” said Fanny Abreu, Director of Operations at Runway 7.
Abreu explained that the awards are intended to recognize the craftsmanship, discipline and creative vision that audiences do not always see during a fashion presentation.
Special Award Nominees Announced
Runway 7 has announced several nominees for special honors spanning fashion, medicine, performance, beauty and media.
Confirmed nominees include:
- Malan Breton — Excellence in Design Award
- Michael Cinco — Designer of the Year
- Fred Lublin — Medical Excellence & Innovation Award
- Karen Chan of Sparkle Collection — Best International Fashion Designer
- Matthew Dillon — Best Fashion Commentator Award
- Grace Mercedes — Best Hair & Makeup Director
- Izzy Lamberti — Best Onstage Performance
Malan Breton enters the ceremony with an internationally established career covering couture, luxury tailoring, film and theatrical presentation. His designs have been worn by prominent entertainers including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, Kylie Minogue and Raye.
Karen Chan will bring a different international perspective through Sparkle Collection. The Hong Kong designer is recognized for reinterpreting Chinese craftsmanship and traditional clothing through the lens of contemporary luxury.
Global Heritage and Sustainable Design Take Center Stage
The inaugural nominee field also highlights designers using fashion to tell stories about heritage, sustainability and personal reinvention.
Argentine artist Monica Casella creates zero-waste wearable art using discarded plastics and industrial materials. Through her Arte Retornable concept, Casella has taken an environmentally focused practice from Argentina to the New York runway.
Paraguayan designer Simon Villalba, nominated for Best Custom Designer, incorporates traditional embroidery, ñandutí lace and regional craftsmanship into contemporary custom designs. His international presence continued during New York Fashion Week in February 2026, when Miss USA 2025 Audrey Eckert walked the runway wearing one of his creations.
Bhawna Bangari’s BMatchy represents South Asian tradition and Indian craftsmanship through a modern fashion perspective. Jesse Lee Designs is recognized for architectural silhouettes, couture construction and a narrative-driven approach to wearable art.
Additional nominees include Paromita Ghosh, Amna Inam and Markos Pimentel, further expanding the awards’ representation of global heritage, couture and emerging talent.
Fashion Meets Medicine and Social Impact
The ceremony will also recognize contributions made outside traditional fashion categories.
Fred D. Lublin, M.D., is nominated for the Medical Excellence & Innovation Award. Lublin is the Saunders Family Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis.
A leading figure in multiple sclerosis research, Lublin was among the early American investigators involved in studies of interferon beta-1b. His research has contributed to the development and understanding of treatments that transformed modern care for people living with multiple sclerosis.
His nomination reflects Runway 7’s continued effort to connect fashion with health advocacy through Project Lab Coat.
The social-impact initiative has used runway presentations to increase awareness and raise funds for causes involving multiple sclerosis, Lyme disease and cancer. Through relationships with Mount Sinai, Global Lyme Alliance, Project Lyme and the Lymelight Foundation, Project Lab Coat has helped raise more than $200,000.
A New Chapter for Runway 7
The launch of the Fashion Awards follows Runway 7’s recognition on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies.
After building an international platform for designers during New York Fashion Week, Runway 7 is now creating a separate stage to recognize the models, artists, photographers, medical professionals and other contributors whose work influences fashion and culture.
The inaugural ceremony will conclude Runway 7’s September programming with red-carpet arrivals, live entertainment and the announcement of its first award recipients.
The Runway 7 Fashion Awards will take place Monday, September 14, at 7 p.m. at Sony Hall in New York City. Tickets are available through Runway 7.
