Established Designer, Growing Brand Lands MAFI Award at FBI Fashion Event

As of Tuesday, October 15, 2013

At the Fashion Business Inc. fashion fund-raiser at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, the Moss Adams Fashion Innovator (MAFI) award was given to an established LA designer who has been expanding her reach and growing her brand in recent years.

Presented by Moss Adams LLP, the award includes $5,000 in professional services from the national accounting firm. Past recipients include Petro Zillia’s Nony Totchterman, Frankie B.’s Daniella Clarke, Cerre’s Clayton and Flavie Webster, and Nally and Millie’s James and Nally Park.

This year’s award was given to Shay Todd, the Los Angeles designer who made a name for herself in swimwear and has grown her label into a resort lifestyle brand.

Hawaii-raised and LA–based, Todd runs her business with her husband, music producer Shiro Gutzie. The Shay Todd collection combines runway-inspired details with “beach-ready function.” Today, her brand is on women’s swimwear, resortwear, ready-to-wear and a soon-to-launch spa collection. In addition to a flagship store in Los Angeles and an e-commerce site, www.shaytodd.com, the Shay Todd line is sold at boutique stores nationwide.

The MAFI award is given to a California-based company that “has, in the past 12 months, significantly impacted the national marketplace by exemplifying creativity and innovation through unique and compelling designs, manufacturing and/or marketing.”

The award was presented at FBI’s Oct. 15 event, called “All Aboard…LA’s Fashion Platform,” which also featured a runway show of established and emerging designers, including Johnny Was, Liberty Sage, Maison Castel, Jet Age, Quynh Paris and Rosario.

Extra!” weekend co-host Renee Bargh emceed the sold-out event.