Donning sparkly gowns, dapper tuxedos and fabulous fashion-forward attire, hundreds of guests filled the terrace of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Northwest D.C., for the third annual Gatsby Showcase Foundation’s Gala, honoring innovators and entrepreneurs including designer Sergio Hudson.
Reality television star Lisa Wu served as mistress of ceremonies, for the glamorous event that included an open bar, finger foods, a multi-designer fashion show, and even a performance from a Michael Jackson impersonator.
With the engaging runway show featuring Sergio Hudson Collections, Michael Johnson’s JL Michael’s Custom Clothiers, and Mona Moumen’s raMona Design Studio as an event highlight, this year’s gala also continued the Gatsby’s Showcase Foundation’s tradition of empowering the Black community through fashion, arts and culture.
“The Gatsby Foundation was created to empower historically disadvantaged groups to achieve economic independence,” said Laura Fote, the event’s co-executive producer and CEO of L&B Concepts, last year in a WIN-TV interview.
In addition to Hudson, 2023 honorees included: entrepreneur, author and philanthropist Dr. Trisha Bailey; Captain James Kamau, a Kenya Airways pilot and director of Kenya Operations for Crossing Thresholds; Ann Trip, an award-winning news director of WBLS; and Greg Lockman, founder and chairman of Purposeful Living and Giving. Dr. Lance London, founder of the successful restaurant chain Carolina Kitchen, received the “Gatsby Foundation Appreciation Award.”
“In helping others, you’ll get what you want,” London emphasized in his acceptance speech.
When accepting his “Trailblazer’s Award,” Hudson said he was incredibly honored to receive such a beautiful recognition from his people.
“I never, ever tried to be grand or be greater than anybody, but I want the world to know that our people are important to me and being honored by my people is important to me,” Hudson told the crowd.
Empowering the Black community, Hudson said, aligns with his goals in the fashion industry.
“My mission as a designer is to normalize people that look like me in this space,” he said. “[I want] to normalize ready-to-wear designers being people of color, not just making urban clothes or avant-garde clothes, but clothes that women actually want to wear and to live their lives in and pass down to their children.”
The designer emphasized that his entire life has been focused on helping others, similarly to the mission of the Gatsby Showcase Foundation.
“I come from a life of service. My mother was a pastor and I worked in a homeless shelter at least once a week my entire childhood, so service and giving back is a part of my DNA,” Hudson said. “When I started to really go after this, I had to put a service behind it to motivate me to get up every day. And making people that look like me feel inspired is the reason that I’m able to do this.”
Hudson, who has designed for the likes of former first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Jennifer Lopez and Amal Clooney, noted the importance of using one’s platform to make a difference in the community. He said one way of supporting African American communities is through supporting Black businesses.
“Just think about what you’re buying and who you’re buying it from,” he said, as a suggestion when shopping at major department stores. “It takes a little bit of research sometimes, sometimes we’re (Black designers are) on the corner rack by the elevator, but we’re there.”
The celebrated designer left the crowd with an important message.
“I think there’s a lot of people of substance in this room,” Hudson said. “Use your substance where it can benefit your community the most.”
