Kelly Rowland and A$AP Rocky Honored At Harlem’s Fashion Row Style Awards

Kelly Rowland and A$AP Rocky’s trailblazing knack for style helped them receive the highest honors at Harlem’s Fashion Row NYFW Show and Style Awards.

The fashion-forward event took place Tuesday, September 5 at the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem where Rowland received the Fashion Icon Award and Rocky was honored with the Virgil Abloh Award, USA Today reports.

The “Motivation” singer shared an impassioned speech recalling her days in Destiny’s Child where Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles stepped in to design clothes for the group after they were denied pieces from designers of the day. Thanks to Mama Tina, Kelly’s ability to “set trends” early in her career helped her become the fashion icon she is today.

“My history with fashion actually started, I’m sure a lot of you know, with Destiny’s Child,” Rowland said, noting the designers and fashion gatekeepers ho “were very reluctant to dress us.”

Last night, the beautiful @KELLYROWLAND took home the Fashion Icon of the Year award at the 16th annual @HFRmovement Fashion Show and Style Awards. In her acceptance speech, she discussed how #DestinysChild became fashion trendsetters due to the work of @mstinaknowles ✨… pic.twitter.com/u3QfAr08CO

— Hello Beautiful (@HelloBeautiful) September 6, 2023

After Tina Knowles “took matters into her own hands and she dressed us, and I learned there what it was like to start a trend. I remember what that felt like, the pride in it.”

Speaking directly to the Black people in the room, in a stunning corseted dress from Ashi Studio, Rowland shared a powerful message.

“We start the trends. We make what’s cool, cool. Fashion should be grateful for us,” she said.

Later A$AP Rocky took the stage to speak from the heart about his history with the late Virgil Abloh, who inspired the award he received that night. The “Fashion Killa” rapper gave a huge nod to Abloh for helping set the stage for the trendsetter he became throughout his career, TMZ reports.

“Virgil discovered us as a bunch of kids, before I got my record deal. He was downtown in Soho just cooling, and we wasn’t old enough to get into this club called Le Bain, so we would sneak in there … and Virgil peeped us,” Rocky shared. “Unbeknownst to us, we ain’t know that he knew who we was. He’s like, ‘Wait, y’all are those Harlem kids, the trendy ones.'”

#ASAPRocky came home to Harlem to accept the Virgil Abloh Award, presented by LVMH, at @HFRmovement’s Fashion Show and Style Awards ✨ pic.twitter.com/7b9xuFdj8G

— Hello Beautiful (@HelloBeautiful) September 6, 2023

“We was tripping, like ‘Wait, Virgil knows who we are, knows about us? The fashion world knows about us,'” the father of two continued.

“And a year later, I became A$AP Rocky – I mean, I always was A$AP Rocky, but I became famous, if you dig what I’m saying – and Virgil went on to design my first album cover, my first tour.”

Others who received awards include stylist and “Vogue” global contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who received the Editor of the Year Award, celebrity styling duo Wayman and Micah, who were honored with the Stylist of the Year Award, designer Stella Jean, who won the Designer of the Year, and photographer Johnny Nuñez, who received the Hip-Hop Trailblazer Award.