NEW YORK – Tracee Ellis Ross is embracing her inner Lucille Ball.
The actress took to the stage at the 19th annual Harlem's Fashion Row Fashion Show and Style Awards and brought her usual animated spirit
Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Glasshouse in Manhattan.
The Pattern Beauty founder (and owner and co-CEO, as she touted in her speech) had the room in stitches as she opened up the night, which honored singer Erykah Badu, TikTok fashion star Wisdom Kaye, Rihanna's stylist Jahleel Weaver and more.
"Pattern's got you, soup to nuts: Wash, treat, style and heat, scrub, wash, hydrate and glow! And now you know," Ross said in a sing-song voice, moving her arms theatrically. "I feel like I should do that one more time, that was very Lucille Ball."
Ross, whose brand sponsored the evening and who last presented at the 2024 event, proved why she previously received the Fashion Icon honor in 2015: She looked chic in a black jacket with voluminous puff sleeves with matching wide-leg black trousers and a white top underneath.
"From honoree to sponsor, kind of boss if you think about it," she said.
The HFR soiree, which celebrates the best and brightest Black creators in fashion and entertainment, marked a celebratory unofficial kickoff to New York Fashion Week, which starts with the CFDA calendar on Sept. 10.
Erykah Badu skips event, shares video message for Fashion Icon honor
The Fashion Icon winner may have been fashionably absent from the night, but "Bag Lady" singer Badu brought her seminal style in her message to the crowd.
"Long before authenticity became a marketing term, Badu lived it," Essence magazine editor-at-large Mikki Taylor said of the "cultural provocateur," accepting the award on her behalf before Badu showed up on the screen with a video message.
The "Tyrone" singer said while she was "so very honored" by they award, she wished "I was there with you so much, but I am building a set for my tour and I just couldn't get away."
"The icon award, what does that mean to me? I've always been a storyteller in music and through words and through visuals and it does not stop through my style and the way I express myself. The way I show up, it's all an expression of me," Badu said. "It's always a political statement, too, because nobody does it like Black people when it comes to style. We've been copied, we've been imitated, we have been pushed to the back, but we are so resilient – we just create … and continue to create. And as long as we're documenting our own stories … we're resilient, we are beautiful."
TikTok star Wisdom Kaye, Rihanna's stylist Jahleel Weaver receive honors
The fête also celebrated top purveyors of fashion, with Wisdom Kaye, aka "the Black man version of Black boy joy all grown up," receiving the Virgil Abloh Award, presented by LVMH in honor of the late Louis Vuitton creative director.
"In many way I'm just a kid from Texas," said Kaye, who noted is was difficult to make friends growing up. Now, he boasts nearly 15 million TikTok followers who tune in to his inventive fashion styling videos. "I always liked making things, no matter where I went. And there was always this passion to continue to do so. But I never thought with an iPhone and a corner of my room that I would inspire people all over the world."
Rihanna's stylist Jahleel Weaver, the man behind her stunning pregnancy looks and many of her fashion-forward moments, accepted the stylist of the year honor. "You gave me an opportunity that changed the course of my life," Weaver said about Rihanna.
Designer Brandon Blackwood, who became known for his "End Systemic Racism" purses, choked up as he earned the designer of the year honor. "I started this dream with a bag, delusion and a lot of faith," Blackwood said, earning cheers in the crowd from "Love Island USA" Season 7 winner Amaya Espinal.
"The Cutting Room Floor" creator Recho Omondi won editor of the year, while author and trailblazer Audrey Smaltz won the Ann Lowe Maverick Award.
At last year's fashion show and awards gala, Usher earned the the Virgil Abloh Award honor, while Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter took home the Ann Lowe Maverick Award.
'Today' show's Sheinelle Jones, rapper Gunna attend fashionable fête
There was plenty of star power on hand to celebrate the honorees and take in the fashion show, featuring designs from three emerging designers.
"Today" show cohost Sheinelle Jones, TV personality Bevy Smith, rapper Gunna and more celebs were in the room of fashion tastemakers.
The three designers – Chuks Collins, Rey Jaiteh and Waïna Chancy for Atelier Ndigo – showcased structural and colorful collections with unique points of view, simultaneously competing for the PVH Foundation Runway Ahead Prize. Chancy, with her vibrant gowns and intricate pleating on collars, cuffs and hems, was named the winner, crying as she accepted the $100,000 prize.
Anika Reed is USA TODAY's deputy entertainment editor, covering all things entertainment and pop culture. Find her on Instagram and TikTok, or send her an email at ajreed@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tracee Ellis Ross channels Lucille Ball at Harlem's Fashion Row event
