Celebrating the Ten of Tomorrow

Breaking new ground, both figuratively and literally, was the theme of a party Thursday at the The Cube at the Seaport District. The Howard Hughes Corp., which aims to transform the South Street Seaport area into a singular shopping experience, hosted the event to celebrate designers and executives chosen by WWD for its annual feature, Ten of Tomorrow. The feature recognizes burgeoning executives, designers and brands.

The honorees Baja East’s Scott Studenberg and John Targon, J.C. Penney’s ceo-designate Marvin Ellison, Ana Khouri, Marco De Vincenzo, Just One Eye’s Paola Russo, Simone Rocha, Lee Savage, Hood by Air’s Shayne Oliver, Glossier’s Emily Weiss and Code and Theory’s Dan Gardner and Brandon Ralph all share something in common: forward-thinking ideas and the tenacity to execute them. “We’re looking for the Seaport to be the home to fashion’s rising stars,” said David Weinreb, chief executive officer of Howard Hughes. “The Seaport is poised to become the future district of fashion. We’re committed to the next generation of talent. We’re supporting emerging talent with the Ten of Tomorrow program.”

Howard Hughes plans to transform Pier 17 into a shopping, dining and entertainment venue with open space on the pier as well as the building’s roof. “We’re looking at bringing in retailers that haven’t been in New York and will be wonderful to discover,” Weinreb said, citing Rialto Jean Project, a Venice, Calif.-based brand specializing in hand-painted vintage denim jeans, as an example. Rialto opened a pop-up shop at the Seaport in September.

Weinreb unveiled the Seaport Studios Pavilion, which will bring originality to the project with shops for some of the “designers featured here today. We’ve had pop-ups as part of the program for several months. In the spring, we’ll expand that and add other pop-ups to complement them.” De Vincenzo, one of the honorees, said getting his four-year-old company off the ground “was difficult in the beginning, but this is a special moment for me.” LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in February invested in his label, giving him access to greater production capabilities. “They are selling the collection very well,” he said of LVMH.

“It legitimizes my work,” Khouri said of being named to the Ten of Tomorrow. “It’s so important to have someone behind you.” Now, the designer of edgy jewelry is thinking about her next move and looking for space for a store in New York. “As a young designer, it’s so gratifying to be affirmed by such a pillar in the industry,” said Lee Savage of being named to WWD’s Ten of Tomorrow. “Right now, I’m getting people introduced to the brand. I’d like to design more accessories and pick up more stores in the Middle East,” she said.

“It feels like I’ve come full circle,” said Oliver, founder of Hood by Air, which is sold at Barneys New York, Selfridges in London and Colette in Paris, among other stores. Being chosen as one of the Ten of Tomorrow “gives me more confidence. It means that I have my own world to play with, with my own rules.” Studenberg, half of Baja East, described the experience of being named to the list as “surreal.” Baja East’s luxury ath-leisure wear is sold at Maxfield, Kirna Zabête, Barneys, The Webster and Ikram. “We want to have our own store,” Studenberg said. “Making money is our goal.”