One of our very own ones to watch designer Gary Graham accepted the 2010 Legend of Fashion award from his alma mater, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The New York-based Graham (Class of '92), returned to the school to pick up the honor, crediting the program in his comments, saying, "Everything I do now, I learned here." Of course, that certainly seems a change of heart since he once apparently called the school a "fascist matriarchy." This latest award comes on the heels of the designer's recent accolades as a 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award.
Also recognized during the fundraiser event was Eunice W. Johnson, founder of the Ebony Fashion Fair and a woman often credited as a trailblazer for breaking racial barriers in fashion. Word on the street is that Chicago luminary and Michelle Obama favorite Maria Pinto is in the running for the 2011 Legend of Fashion award.
