NAACP Image Awards: ‘The Color Purple’ Wins at Fashion Show Event

Tyler Coates
·2 min read
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The NAACP Image Awards announced its fifth round of winners in non-televised categories on Friday, which were presented amid a fashion show hosted by Brandee Evans.

Warner Bros.’ The Color Purple swept all three categories, with Francine Jamison-Tanchuck winning outstanding costume design; Lawrence Davis, Tym Wallace, Andrea Mona Bowen, Angela Renae Dyson and Jorge Benitez Villalobos winning outstanding hairstyling; and Carol Rasheed, Saisha Beecham, Ngozi Olandu Young, Manny Davila and Milene Melendez winning outstanding makeup.

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June Ambrose was also honored at the event with the NAACP Vanguard Award for Fashion. The costume designer is known for her work across over 200 music videos by artists including Missy Elliott, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z; she also designed wardrobes for the latter during the On the Run tours and in Beyoncé’s Black Is King. She also notably served as a costume designer for Hype Williams’ feature directorial debut Belly in 1998. She has also served as the creative director for Puma Hoops.

Presenting Ambrose with the honor was Kelly Rowland, who made a surprise appearance at the event. “June Ambrose doesn’t just design; she exudes style and embodies her craft. June Ambrose is fashion,” said Rowland. “She is effortless. She is still at the top of her game, still reigning supreme and still as ever, opulence and decadence, darling.”

Said Ambrose: “This recognition humbles me beyond measure. It is the validation of sacrifice, struggles, and the triumphs that have marked my path. I’ve been in business for 30 years this year, and from the very beginning of my journey, my ‘AI’ has been my secret weapon: my authentic intelligence. It has been my guiding light through uncharted waters. When there were no footsteps to follow, no blueprint. It was the authentic intelligence that allowed me to pave the way.”

The event also showcased a variety of looks from Black American and international designers, including Kevan Hall (Kevan Hall Designs and former Design and Creative Director of Halston), Okera Banks (Founder, CEO and Creative Director of OKERA BANKS), BJ Gray (Founder and CEO of Grayscale) and Kwaku Bediako (Founder of Chocolate Clothes Global).

NAACP announced the winners in non-televised Image Awards categories in virtual ceremonies this week, as well as recognizing winners at a Thursday night awards dinner and program at the Hollywood Palladium. The latter was hosted by Sherri Shepherd (who also won the award for outstanding host in a talk or news/information series or special).

On Saturday, the 55th annual NAACP Image Awards will air live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS with Queen Latifah hosting.

You can also see the full list of winners from night one, night two, night three and night four here.

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