Fashion Group International of Dallas Honors Top Designers at Its Annual Night of Stars Gala

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Fashion Group International of Dallas (FGI) is hosting its biggest night of the year on Friday, November 15. The 2024 Night of Stars, the organization’s annual black-tie gala, will honor four designers for their stellar achievements in fashion, art, and design industries.

2024 presenters include Tommy Hilfiger and Ashley Longshore, and event chairs are Fallon Bock, Melissa Ellis, and Holly Quartaro. Victoria Snee serves as Honorary Chair. The gala funds events and initiatives like its annual scholarship competition — which provides scholarships to college students through the FGI Dallas Fashion Group Foundation. 

This year’s honorees include Martin Lawrence Bullard for Excellence in Design, Donald Robertson for Innovation in Art, Jonathan Simkhai for Achievement in Fashion, and Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger for Achievement in Accessory Design. In anticipation of the event at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, we caught up with Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger to talk about her upcoming award.

How does it feel to be honored by the Fashion Group International of Dallas?

It’s always such a pleasure and nice to be honored and recognized by your industry peers. The cherry on top is that FGI provides scholarships to college students, which is so important to empower the next generation.

What do you love most about Dallas/Texas fashion?

I lived in Dallas during college while I attended SMU, and I absolutely love the city. It’s so wonderful to be back all these years later and to see how much it has grown. Texas fashion is bold and colorful. I know that Dallas brings it when it comes to looks and style.

What are some of the key trends you’re excited about for the upcoming seasons?

Menswear and suiting for women is going to be huge, and denim is being used in so many new ways and silhouettes. For jewelry, we are seeing big, bold jewelry pieces which is always fun. Animal print is always on trend, however, classic, and timeless pieces never go out of style. This was important for me in my new clothing collection that just launched on Nordstrom, DO by Dee Ocleppo. These are pieces that you can mix and match wear season after season.

Any key takeaways from over a decade with Judith Leiber?

Judith Leiber is such an iconic heritage brand. I’ve enjoyed so much launching new collaborations with the brand with everyone from Hello Kitty to the Kardashian-Jenner family.

Looking ahead, what are you most excited about?

To continue to modernize the brand with fresh collaborations and exciting, novel designs.