QVC, Rebecca Minkoff, Designer Brands & ABG Honored at ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale’ Fundraiser

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It was another successful night for the QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” fundraiser on Thursday in New York. The shoe industry gathered at the Ziegfeld Ballroom for the 26th annual event. The Fashion Footwear Association of New York and the QVC network have worked hand in hand to help find a cure for breast cancer over the past quarter century, and since then, more than $57 million have been raised.

Last night’s gala added to that tally after QVC sold more than 30,000 pairs of donated shoes during its live, three-hour Shoes on Sale broadcast. And in recognition of QVC’s 25-year commitment to cause, the company was named the 2019 recipient of the Jodi & Jerome Fisher Humanitarian Award. Mike George, president and CEO of QVC parent company Qurate Retail Group, accepted the honor.

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“A lot has changed since that first broadcast. It’s a different world,” he said onstage. “What really strikes me is that, in its most fundamental ways, Shoes on Sale is exactly the same as it was 25 years ago. It’s still about the opportunity to buy shoes at half price with all the proceeds going to breast cancer research all made possible because of the people in this room and your incredible generosity.”

Other companies with a strong presence at the fundraiser included the Pink Benefactors, who contributed at least $500,000 worth of merchandise to the fundraiser, such as Caleres, Marc Fisher Footwear and Designer Brands Inc., whose CEO, Roger Rawlins, was in attendance to accept the Company of the Year Award from FFANY.

FN’s own editorial director Michael Atmore was on hand to present Rawlins with the honor.

“Over the past [few] years, we have been really focused on our mission which is to inspire self-expression and when you think about what’s happening tonight it’s really the best example because footwear changes lives,” said Rawlins. “And using footwear to impact what we are doing to fight breast cancer is amazing.”

Marc Fisher, founder and CEO of his eponymous shoe company, has been a longtime Shoes on Sale contributor. He took the stage to present Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands Group, with the Influential Figure in Fashion award, while influencer Tezza Barton honored Rebecca Minkoff with the Designer of the Year award.

Said FFANY executive director John Heron, “The event is a culmination of months of planning and preparation. We are thrilled with how it came out and with the people in the room. It’s a real time to reflect on how breast cancer affects all of us and how together as an industry we are working to fund research.”

Other guests included Iris Apfel, Lala Anthony, Libby Edelman and Nancy Hornback.

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