"Fashion reflects and influences culture. The 2026 Vilcek Prizes in Fashion & Design highlight immigrants elevating fashion through design practice, material innovation, makeup, and hairstyling. As part of its mission to uplift immigrants working in the arts and sciences, the Vilcek Foundation has awarded $250,000 to four immigrant fashion professionals: Peter Do, Jacques Agbobly, Marcelo Gutierrez, and Uyen Tran."
"Peter Do received the $100,000 Vilcek Prize in Fashion & Design for creating versatile clothing for everyday life without sacrificing durability or comfort. When he was 14, Do moved from his native Vietnam to the suburbs of Philadelphia, which exposed him to the often turbulent life of immigrants in the U.S. His mother helped steady him during this time, teaching Do the importance of resiliency. She and other women remain primary sources of inspiration for his creations."
"Jacques Agbobly centers Afropolitan identity, Black multiplicity, and diasporic memory in their designs. They were inspired to pursue a career in fashion after witnessing their mother braiding hair to support their new life after immigrating to Chicago from Togo. Agbobly is now a full-time designer and professor at Parsons School of Design, and continues to build an American fashion house that centers Black identity while carrying forward the craftsmansh"
The Vilcek Foundation awarded $250,000 through 2026 Vilcek Prizes in Fashion & Design to recognize immigrant contributions across design, material innovation, makeup, and hairstyling. Peter Do received the $100,000 Vilcek Prize for designing versatile, durable, and comfortable everyday clothing inspired by his immigrant experience from Vietnam and by the resilience taught by his mother. Jacques Agbobly, Marcelo Gutierrez, and Uyen Tran each received $50,000 Creative Promise Prizes. Jacques Agbobly centers Afropolitan identity, Black multiplicity, and diasporic memory, draws inspiration from a mother who braided hair after immigrating from Togo, and teaches at Parsons School of Design.
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