Betsey Johnson passes iconoclast torch to Julia Fox at 30th ACE Awards

Betsey Johnson handed Julia Fox the iconoclast crown in the most Betsey way possible: with Fox wearing a revived vintage yellow strapless dress from Johnson’s spring 2008 collection and Johnson, the award’s inaugural recipient, presenting the honor in person. The look made the point before a single speech did. This was not nostalgia dressed up for a gala. It was a clean, high-impact reminder that offbeat fashion has moved closer to the center, especially when it is anchored in one sharp silhouette, one saturated color and one memorable archive piece.

The 30th ACE Awards returned to The Pierre hotel in New York City on Tuesday night, May 5, 2026, for the Accessories Council’s pearl anniversary. The event, founded in 1996, honored nine categories plus three Legacy Honors, with winners that mapped the current accessories landscape from retail power to personal style. Monica Rich Kosann won Brand Innovation. Sara Blakely of Sneex took Innovation. Nata Dvir of Macy’s was named Merchant of the Year. EssilorLuxottica received the Pioneering Spirit honor. Blake Mycoskie of We Are Enough and Enough won Social Impact. Marissa Collections was recognized as Specialty Retailer. Tamron Hall earned Style Influencer. Todd Kahn of Coach was honored as Visionary. Julia Fox received the Betsey Johnson Iconoclast Award. Legacy Honorees were Marcolin, Melinda Maria and Nanis.

The evening’s strongest style lesson was how easily individuality can read as wearable rather than precious. Fox arrived with her five-year-old son Valentino and called the honor a “full-circle moment,” saying Johnson was the first real designer she ever became aware of and that she used to visit Johnson’s Madison Avenue store with friends. Johnson, in turn, said Fox reminded her of a younger version of herself and called her a muse and inspiration. That exchange mattered because it showed exactly why Fox fits the moment: her appeal is not in perfection, but in a willingness to make a single piece carry the whole look.

That same instinct is what gives the ACE Awards their current relevance. Todd Kahn’s recognition signaled the continued pull of Coach, while Nata Dvir’s win underscored Macy’s role in moving product and taste at scale. The accessories world is no longer treating polish and eccentricity as opposites. It is rewarding the women and brands that can make a statement shoe, a vintage dress or a sharply chosen bag feel easy to wear on an ordinary night out.

Blake Mycoskie, who won Brand of the Year for Toms 17 years ago, said returning to the ACE Awards felt especially meaningful after his own difficult mental-health journey following the sale of the company. Karen Giberson framed the night as proof of endurance, calling the 30th anniversary a pearl anniversary and describing the council’s work as a long-running effort to serve the industry. At The Pierre, the message was clear: the next phase of effortless fashion belongs to pieces with personality, but also with utility, the kind that can turn a simple outfit into a signature.