With more than two decades in the entertainment business and nearly as many years in the footwear industry, Jessica Simpson has long been known as celebrity fashion’s queen of shoes.
Now, Simpson will be honored with the Icon Award at the 2023 Footwear News Achievement Awards on Nov. 29 in New York.
The award will celebrate the star’s long career in footwear and fashion through the Jessica Simpson Collection brand, which she first launched in 2005. Partnering with industry veteran Vince Camuto (and mother Tina), Simpson’s initial footwear deal became the catalyst for a billion-dollar company that now includes a variety of categories and licenses within fashion, accessories and beauty.
“We’ve documented every step of Jessica’s career — from reality star to business mogul. In an era when celebrity brands come and go, she’s proven she has staying power,” said Michael Atmore, editorial director of FN and chief brand officer of Fairchild Media Group. “Together with her mother Tina, Jessica is embarking on the next big chapter of her evolving brand story. For all these reasons and many more, we are thrilled to bestow her with the industry’s highest honor.”
In 2021, Simpson and her mother officially reacquired full ownership of the brand from Sequential Brands Group, a move that helped the duo to launch new categories and build out the Jessica Simpson Collection’s e-commerce efforts, bringing the site to profitability in just two years. The brand continues its longstanding footwear licensing partnership with Camuto Group to this day.
Simpson is the third honoree to receive the Icon Award at the annual awards show — Iris Apfel was honored in 2016; and Kathy, Nicky and Paris Hilton took home the prize as a trio at the 2021 FNAAs.
Simpson also joins other 2023 FNAA honorees, including Sam and Libby Edelman for the Lifetime Achievement Award; Skechers USA Inc. co-founder and president Michael Greenberg as Person of the Year; Roger Vivier’s Gherardo Felloni as Designer of the Year; Shoe of the Year, the Adidas Samba; and Kith as Retailer of the Year.
