Fashion Group International Announces Finalists for Prestigious Rising Star Awards and Nominates Designer Guillermo Pharis
Celebrating Innovation and Excellence, FGI Recognizes Emerging Talent in its 29th edition.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / March 7, 2025 / The Fashion Group International (FGI) New York has officially announced the nominees for their highly anticipated annual Rising Star Awards. Among the talented group of designers, one name has been capturing bridal editors and exclusive buyers attention - Guillermo Pharis, a nominee and finalist rising star in the bridal category.Fashion Group International Nominates Guillermo Pharis for Rising Star Awards 2025 Fashion Group International Nominates Guillermo Pharis for Rising Star Awards 2025
Guillermo Pharis, a growing name in the bridal industry, is an American-Honduran designer who launched his first bridal collection few weeks before Covid-19 global pandemic. While so many brands were closing doors, he was trying to build a name for himself in a time where it was almost impossible to navigate the day to day. His nomination for the Rising Star Awards 2025 is a testimony to his talent, perseverance and dedication to the industry. The awards, which recognize emerging talent in various categories of the fashion industry, have become a prestigious honor for up-and-coming designers.
The Rising Star Awards, now in its 29th edition, is a highly anticipated event in the fashion industry. The awards ceremony, which will take place on April 16th, 2025 in New York City, will bring together industry leaders to celebrate the nominees and winners. This year's event will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish and the winners in each of the categories will be presented by a wide range of industry figures including Fern Mallis, Gary Wassner, Ken Downing and Reem Acra. The event will feature a cocktail reception followed by a luncheon, and awards presentation.
Designer Guillermo Pharis has successfully carved a niche in the bridal-wear industry with his unique blend of timeless and fashion-forward design. By targeting a discerning market and offering personalized service, he has created a strong brand identity and achieved significant success. With strategic locations in major cities, his business is positioned for continued growth and leadership in the wedding dress market.
The Fashion Group International is a global, non-profit, professional organization founded in 1930 in New York City to benefit the fashion industry. FGI currently has over 5000 members in the fashion industry including apparel, accessories, beauty and home. The organization is dedicated to fostering creativity and innovation in fashion and is thrilled to announce all the finalists for this year's awards. For more information on the Rising Star Awards Winners visit their website at www.fgi.org. To Learn more about the collections of FGI Rising Star Finalist Guillermo Pharis visit the online store
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
38 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Small American Business Owners Are Sharing How Tariffs Are Affecting Them
When tariffs on Chinese goods spiked dramatically — peaking at over 100% in some cases before recent reductions — small business owners across America found themselves facing an impossible math problem. From toy designers to computer repair shops, countless entrepreneurs discovered that products they depend on — and that simply aren't made anywhere else — suddenly became prohibitively expensive. When u/toymakerinchina, a manufacturer of indoor playground equipment, asked how US small businesses were handling these dramatic tariff increases, the responses painted a sobering picture of an economy under strain: "Honestly, they're not able to cope. I know two people in separate small businesses in this situation who were running the numbers at 104% yesterday. They're already in a place with not-high margins. They also have to get their product out to distributors and on to end consumers, and there is a markup at each step. They're trying to increase direct-to-consumer sales to get a bit more efficient, but that's really hard. It's more likely they'll go bankrupt unless things get fixed fast. There aren't any American alternatives for the imported supply, and there won't be in the future. They're doomed to fail." "I have a computer repair shop. Literally everything computer-related is made in China, with few exceptions — Taiwan and Mexico, sometimes. New computers are about to get real expensive. This will either surge my business, in which case we'll just lower our margin on parts and maintain labor cost, or people are going to pay out the nose for new computers." "I've just had to place an order for $80,000 worth of equipment to be produced. Specialized gear only made in China. The budget was around $110,000 total. Now maybe $150,000. It will hurt if this level — or worse — is in place when it's ready to be shipped. It will take about three months to fabricate it all. I don't know if I have any way to mitigate this." "Our selling prices are going way up. Our sales volume will suffer because our poorest customers won't be able to afford our product. It's an item for people with disabilities. It's sad." "My sister designs plush toys and runs her own business. She's a small operation, but it's been her full-time gig for almost 10 years. On average, her orders are around 2,000 to 5,000 toys at a time. Her latest order was flat-out cancelled by the supplier. She's completely screwed. There simply isn't a viable alternative company that isn't based in China." "The previous steel and aluminum tariffs from the pandemic were rough. This is on another level. I don't think most people understand how screwed we are. Currently, my suppliers are trying to raise prices slowly. They're playing chicken with each other. They know they can't raise everything overnight, as they're also competing with other suppliers, and they still need to move product in order to maintain cash flow. I've been hoarding lots of inventory in preparation, but how long will it take to move that product if the economy is slow due to overall inflation? Our costs are just one aspect of being in business. If our customers are squeezed from every direction by tariffs on everything, then they don't have cash to purchase things from us. Then toss in some idiotic DOGE nonsense, where you eliminate millions of people from viable employment." "I'm about to close shop after doing it as my exclusive job for 10 years. It's screwed." "I have a $48,000 order that I placed two days ago just before the latest China tariff increase. Haven't paid the deposit yet, and now reassessing the move. Considering 1) reducing the order size just to not have such a large bill come due in two to three months and start seeking other suppliers in lower-tariffed countries or the US — although I would expect that even if we found a US manufacturer, the price would work out to be the same if not higher; 2) keep the order, but start adding a tariff fee to invoices now; 3) do nothing and hope the jerk in charge changes this move before the goods hit customs. We've already negotiated a lower price with our supplier, so not much else to be done there. We just raised our prices for the first time in three years to finally pass along some of the cost increases we've incurred in that time. It looked like we'd finally improve our margins over where they've been the last few years. And now this." "My family runs a restaurant. If our prices for takeout containers and other small disposables skyrocket, we're going to put some behind a price instead of giving them out for free. Currently, a large takeout foam container is 20 cents. If it hits 40 cents or more, we will tack on a 25-to-50-cent fee depending on just how high it actually goes. Please, everyone, understand that a small mom-and-pop style restaurant only runs 3% to 6% pure profit if that — right now, we are at about 4%." "My partner had a bunch of inventory on hand pre-tariff so he's just selling that and not ordering anything for now. And he raised prices because he can. He's pointing out that price increases are due to tariffs to educate his red-leaning customers on what they voted for." "Our wholesale will probably shut down after the last of our inventory is sold. It was a good run of 10 years but the Chinese tariffs will make continuing business impossible." "I am a small business owner — I create medieval and costume artistic wigs from wig bases made in China. I will pass the tariff on to the customer as I have no other choice. The US will never make what I need, and other countries making wigs don't come even close to the quality of wigs that China makes, not to mention the trust I have with my years-long suppliers and whatnot. I have no solution because I feel like even if we find loopholes, they can be 'plugged' overnight by the Trump administration. I wish I could include the sum of what my customer pays on tariffs in my pricing separately. That's not going to happen, I know. I will have way fewer customers, lose competitiveness on international markets, and will have to start a second business on the side. I see all this as very pessimistic and feel sorry for all of us affected in the US as well as China." "We're exhausted. We're exhausted from running the numbers, coming up with a barely workable solution, only to have the goal posts moved and that solution obliterated again and again and again. My entire industry is imploding. Yesterday, my company laid off the entire team except for the founder, who is still trying to pivot and find yet another workable solution in hopes he can bring us all back before we find other, more permanent placements." "I have a couple retail stores, and I've received calls from multiple wholesale companies saying many items will get 20% to 50% price increases. This was before China's retaliatory tariff increase. I just won't stock any items that have increased by 50%, other than extreme cases. Any items that I continue to stock will get price increases slower than how much they got increased by tariffs. It's so that customers won't notice the sudden sharp increase in price and leave my business with a sour taste. I will eventually increase it to match the same profit margin in the end, but I will do it slowly, even if it eats away my profit in the short term, to stay competitive. If this tariff war continues, I would assume many retail stores in my industry, maybe even I, won't be able to stay afloat and will go out of business. My hope is that I can outlast the competition while this tariff craze is going on. I just hope I don't have to let go of my employees." "The tariffs pose a huge threat to my business. I have an art business in the US, and I print my artwork on various art and stationery products. All of my stationery is manufactured in either Canada or China. I also print on various specialty papers that are only manufactured outside of the US. I have done some preparation by buying a year's worth of supplies to continue printing some of my own products, but I will have to discontinue many of my items for the foreseeable future. I am a small business and can't afford to buy products at such high markups. If these tariffs last long, I will be forced to close my business. I am already preparing by looking for a part-time job to supplement the loss of income this will be for me. Plus, my customer base is not wealthy people. Even if I had the savings to afford 104% tariffs, my customers would not." "Many of my materials are imported because US manufacturers charge almost 90% more for a similar sheet of material. So now my competitors and I will have to pay more for the product. Then we will mark it up the same percentage. $50 with a 100% markup meant I sold it for $100, and the company earned $50. Now it's $75 per sheet, and I mark it up to $150, and the company makes $75. We're more profitable. Sure, we may lose a few sales here or there because people can no longer afford to buy a sign for their business or housing development, but during COVID when scarcity drove prices up, we never ended up in a worse position, so I doubt we will here since people need our products, just as I'm sure people need your products." Are you a small business owner dealing with the impact of tariffs, or do you have thoughts on how these policies are affecting the economy? Whether you've witnessed these challenges firsthand, have ideas for solutions, or simply want to share your perspective on what this means for American businesses, drop your thoughts in the comments — or anonymous form — below. Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How to score big savings on the best Caribbean cruises
How to score big savings on the best Caribbean cruises Show Caption Hide Caption MSC World America: The most American cruise ship yet MSC World America, the newest ship from MSC Cruises, features 19 dining venues, 18 bars and lounges and many more. How to score big savings on the best Caribbean cruises Last-minute deals are a surefire way to save big when booking a Caribbean cruise, but let's be honest: Most of us can't cut it that close. Taking off work, securing flights for the whole family, and finding a stateroom that can comfortably accommodate everyone (and that is in a desirable location of the ship) all become a heck of a lot harder to do when you're a few weeks or even months away from departure. Let's not add that unnecessary stress to our plates, OK? With a little strategizing, you can snag an unbeatable discount on one of the best Caribbean cruises for families. You can save even more with kids sail free promos, which are offered by nearly every major line. Bonus add-ons such as $100 in onboard credit, 'free' gratuities, and specialty restaurant inclusions further boost the value of your bottom line. So, where to start? The best places to search for deals are on cruise planning websites (which feed you offers from many online travel agencies) and directly on the cruise lines' sites. You can also keep tabs on deals by subscribing to email lists for alerts. Broaden your results by signing up with multiple cruise sites and lines. Once you're tapped into a network of deals, it's time to put some money-saving tools into play. Here are three ways to score big savings on the best Caribbean cruises for families. FIND YOUR MATCH: From kids to teens to grandparents, these are 12 best family cruise lines for all ages 1. Book a cruise during 'wave season' Think of wave season as the cruise industry's Amazon 'Prime Day' – only this buying window stretches for a few months. Every year from January through March, cruise lines roll out some of their most competitive prices after the holidays wind down. Deals advertised during wave season entice travelers to 'hit the waves,' so the cruise lines can fill their ships for the year(s) ahead. This is a win-win for the lines and families, who can save a pretty penny on sailings that give them plenty of time to plan. GO BEYOND: 101 fresh new family vacation ideas for the best trip ever Just about every major line gets involved in wave season. You'll find deals on all types of ships – including big, small, and expedition – and itineraries. Occasionally, cruise lines offer discounts on sailings during more sought-after times of year, like mid-summer or holidays. Common wave season deals include discounts of up to 50% off, BOGO offers, onboard credits, and extras such as free cabin upgrades and complimentary packages. 2. Be strategic with Black Friday and Cyber Monday specials Not all Black Friday and Cyber Monday promos are good deals. Some lines have even been known to raise prices around this time. The true value typically lies in more generous extras like significantly reduced deposits, 'free' shore excursions, and higher onboard credits. Some lines will also have an option to include airfare. Sign up for deal alerts on the best Caribbean cruises for families, at least a few months beforehand, to glean how prices and offers are trending. This will allow you to spot a deal better when you see one. You don't need to wait until the end-of-month retail rumpus, either. A handful of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are quietly made available in early November. CARIBBEAN DREAMS: These 6 cruise lines offer the best Caribbean cruises for families Additionally, some cruise lines will advertise a deal for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and keep it rolling through wave season – only rebranding it and perhaps refreshing some of the extras. So, don't get discouraged if you're financially stretched too thin during the holiday season, and not quite ready to book. 3. Plan to cruise during the fall September, October, and November are among the cheapest months of the year to cruise in the Caribbean. There are two reasons for this: It's hurricane season, and kids are back in school, so the demand is much lower. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Any ship sailing within this time frame technically has a greater chance of being rerouted away from a storm. Despite all this, June, July, and August are some of the most popular months for Caribbean cruises. However, that's not the case for the latter part of hurricane season, which peaks from mid-August to mid-October. NO HIDDEN FEES: 7 best all-inclusive cruise lines in the world Even with a higher probability of storm activity, the chances of your cruise being affected are still relatively low. In the most likely scenario, you would have to call at a different port or spend an extra day at sea in order to move further away from a storm's path. You also might run into some rain or choppy seas, but that can happen at any time of the year. If you don't have your heart set on a particular destination, and your family is down to go with the flow, then sailing in the fall might be your ticket to the best Caribbean cruises for families. Want to slash your chances of getting seasick? Consider a Southern Caribbean itinerary. Due to their southern location and climates, islands such as St. Lucia and Aruba rarely see tropical activity. How to score big savings on the best Caribbean cruises for families originally appeared on More from FamilyVacationist: The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. and are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. Using the FamilyVacationist travel recommendation methodology, we review and select family vacation ideas, family vacation spots, all-inclusive family resorts, and classic family vacations for all ages. TourScoop covers guided group tours and tour operators, tour operator reviews, tour itinerary reviews and travel gear recommendations. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Veteran boss Hart joins Carlisle in advisory role
Carlisle United have brought in veteran manager Paul Hart in an advisory role to the club's board. Hart, who has managed nine clubs and had various roles at others, took part in Carlisle's strategic review. Advertisement The 72-year-old, whose most recent job was assistant manager at Charlton Athletic under Nathan Jones which he left last August, will work on a part-time consultancy basis at Brunton Park. "Paul has the experience and credentials at all football levels and across all aspects of the game," said chairman Tom Piatak. "We have already had the benefit of Paul's input during the recent review, and he will be a valuable addition and asset to the board, and in turn the club going forward." The strategic review undertaken at Carlisle followed successive relegations which have led to the Blues dropping into the National League for the first time since 2005. Advertisement Changes have already been implemented since the end of the season last month with Mark Hughes staying on as manager and Marc Tierney arriving as head of football operations to replace sporting director Rob Clarkson. In the findings of the review, owner Piatak discussed all aspects of the club. The Florida-based American said Carlisle's performance over the past two seasons was "unacceptable" and a "full reset" was required. He said recruitment over the past three transfer windows had "not met expectations" with Carlisle using 42 players as they finished 23rd in League Two, seven points shy of safety. Advertisement Piatak added that "personal preferences" of individuals had overridden increased resources in scouting and data in bringing in players. There was also criticism of the team's fitness and professional standards. Reference was made to "inadequate preparation, inconsistent conditioning and a lack of consistent sharpness". 'Entire focus on getting back to EFL' Going forward, Piatak said the club's aim is to be "the fittest, best prepared team in the National League". He insisted he and his family remain committed "financially, operationally and emotionally" to restoring Carlisle's fortunes, and that securing promotion at the first attempt was the immediate goal. Advertisement "Our entire focus is on getting back to the EFL," he added.
