The Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) said that its annual Awards for Excellence Gala to be held in New York City on 20th October, 2021, will highlight its event theme Building Resilience with Responsible Business. The VIP fundraiser will gather together 250 guests in person and hundreds more virtually for an evening of networking and to celebrate its two Visionary Award winners: Karen Goracke, CEO of Borsheims, and Fern Mallis, creator of New York Fashion Week and former Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Karen Goracke has had a distinguished career at Borsheims Fine Jewelry and Gifts, one of the country’s largest independent jewellery stores. Before being named President and CEO by Warren Buffett, Karen served in a variety of roles focused on inventory management and sales.
Hailed as the award-winning creator of New York Fashion Week, Fern Mallis has been called a fashion industry titan. Fern is currently President of her fashion and design consultancy and serves on the board of the FIT Foundation. WJA’s biggest fundraiser of the year comes as a long-awaited opportunity for jewellery and watch professionals to connect with each other after many months apart.