The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) honored Gap Inc. as Company of the Year at the 2022 American Image Awards in New York City on Tuesday evening. This honor is recognition of the tireless work, dedication, and creativity of our collective team of 100,000+ employees, as well as our partners around the globe.
“The American Image Awards has always been about excellence and achievement. In a new climate—both the realities of a global pandemic and the increasingly challenging business and environmental realities—innovation and stewardship continue to remain paramount,” said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA. “The 2022 honorees are truly trailblazers who galvanize their employees and their peers across this industry’s far-reaching supply chains to ensure impactful contributions to the American and global economies, to our stakeholder community, and the future of fashion.”
Brandice Daniel, CEO & Founder, Harlem’s Fashion Row. [Photo Credit: Slaven Vlasic / American Image Awards via Getty Images]
Onstage at the celebration, Brandice Daniel, CEO and Founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row, shared remarks about the nonprofit’s partnership with Gap Inc. and said, “it is a company driven by purpose, determined to use its influence to create a positive impact––recognizing that their business thrives when the people and communities around them, do, too.” Gap Inc. has been a longtime supporter of HFR and its mission to provide opportunity and support to multicultural designers through initiatives like Closing the Gap and sponsorship of the annual HFR Fashion Show & Style Awards.
AAFA President and CEO Stephen Lamar with AAFA American Image Awards honorees
In accepting the award on behalf of the company, Gap Inc. CEO Sonia Syngal shared, “I have enormous gratitude for how our entire team has led through these last few years, and their unwavering belief in our iconic brands and the values of this company.”
She also thanked AAFA for being an ally and champion for the industry—particularly for the strategic role the organization played in bringing companies together during the pandemic to help get people back to work safely and show policymakers that fashion and retail jobs are essential to the economy. She also acknowledged AAFA’s continued advocacy for trade policy that promotes growth and empowers workers across the global value chain.
Sonia closed by thanking AAFA for the recognition, saying, "It is an honor we don’t take lightly. It serves as inspiration and represents an imperative—in an industry that demands our best, we must deliver for our customers and communities, each and every day.”
"Even now, amidst great disruption, we have become a more creative, agile and digitally-led organization, and our customer centricity is what grounds us. For the 65 million loyal customers who count on us, whose daily lives we’re a part of, whether we're their neighborhood clothing store or their go-to ecommerce site, we are committed to continued evolution." — Sonia Syngal
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