When one receives the Icon Award, one dresses like an icon. Jessica Simpson got that memo at last night’s Footwear News’ Annual Achievement Awards in New York City, which she attended with her mother, Tina Simpson. At the event, Simpson was honored with the Icon Award for creating “one of fashion’s longest-running success stories”—her billion-dollar eponymous line spans 51 categories (!), including, of course, shoes. For the event, Simpson wore a shimmering floor-length silver sheer dress as she walked the red carpet.
“I am honored that my spirit has connected with people who need it in ways that are obvious and ways that are more subliminal,” Simpson told People. “The fact that Footwear News is bestowing that title on this gal from Texas helps to illuminate the path ahead.”
Simpson founded her brand with her mother in 2005 and, in a feature for Footwear News, Simpson reflected on what being an icon meant to her: “An icon is someone who is not afraid to take risks,” she said. “And often, their choices don’t make sense in the immediate, but they’re part of an enlightened understanding of the big picture. It’s someone who transcends a particular time or place and defines a moment.”
In 2021, Simpson bought back her company from partner Sequential Brands Group and “threw herself into making the brand bigger and stronger than ever,” People reports. Simpson told Footwear News that regaining control makes success all the sweeter. “The most rewarding thing is knowing everything we do is now for us and our team,” she said. “We’re doing everything. We’re making every investment and putting forth all effort, every sacrifice. It’s for the brand.”
