Korean musician YVES has been making music that leads with introspection, restraint, and sincerity, and her most recent release, Soft Error: X, is a prime example of that.
Armanii admits he is a little nervous. Not about the interview itself, just the day in general. New York, deep into a press run, juggling schedules, adjusting to the cold temperatures, and counting down the hours until his album THE IMPACT officially drops. Though he came off as anxious, he assures me the nerves feel less like anxiety and more like awareness. He knows this is a big moment, and he’s ready for it.
Following the release of her new single “Radio,” rising pop artist Cate Tomlinson spoke with The Knockturnal about embracing authenticity and evolving her sound.
Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Ciprani. Manhattan, New York.—The 39th Annual Footwear News Achievement Awards returned as one of the most anticipated nights in fashion, drawing industry leaders, creatives, and tastemakers together to celebrate excellence across footwear, sports, and retail. Often referred to as the “Shoe Oscars,” the 2025 ceremony honored Pharrell Williams and Adidas with the coveted Shoe of the Year Award for the Virginia Adistar Jellyfish, while designer and philanthropist Tommy Hilfiger received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his enduring global influence. From the red carpet, the evening reflected a balance of legacy and innovation, spotlighting honorees shaping the future of the industry through creativity, leadership, and cultural impact.
Ronnie Fieg, Storm Reid, Coco Gauff and Michael Strahan at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards held at Cipriani 25 Broadway on December 03, 2025 in New York, New York.
Held on December 3, 2025, at Cipriani, 25 Broadway in New York City, the event brought together a distinguished cross-section of fashion, business, and cultural leaders. With 14 honorees recognized throughout the evening, the ceremony underscored the expansive role footwear continues to play—not only as a product category, but as a cultural and commercial force influencing global style, sports, and retail. Reflecting on this year’s honorees, Michael Atmore, Chief Brand Officer of Fairchild Media Group and Editor-in-Chief of Footwear News and WWD, shared, “The class of 2025 is a powerful mix of legends, new talents and breakout stars. In one of the most challenging years on record, the FNAA winners’ list is proof that the best thrive in any condition. Our 14 honorees are proof positive that trying times call for inventive leadership and laser focus. These shining success stories all have an interesting backstory that led them to the podium.”
This year’s honorees represented a wide spectrum of industry excellence. Alongside Pharrell Williams and Tommy Hilfiger, Ronnie Fieg was named Person of the Year, while Wolverine Worldwide received Company of the Year honors. Nina Christen was recognized as Designer of the Year, with additional awards celebrating Nordstrom as Retailer of the Year, Jordan Brand as Brand of the Year, and New Balance x Miu Miu as Collaboration of the Year. Cultural influence and emerging creativity were also spotlighted, with Coco Gauff named Style Influencer of the Year and Jude receiving the Emerging Talent Award, reinforcing the ceremony’s commitment to honoring both legacy and forward momentum.
Tommy Hilfiger and James Fallon at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards held at Cipriani 25 Broadway on December 03, 2025 in New York, New York.
The red carpet echoed that same sense of prestige and presence. Michael Strahan, Gayle King, Howie Mandel, and Pusha T were among the notable figures in attendance, while Spike Lee brought his unmistakable cultural gravitas to the arrivals. Fashion and pop-culture influence was further reflected through appearances by Nicky Hilton, underscoring the event’s ability to bridge entertainment, style, and industry leadership in one space.
Michael Greenberg and Howie Mandel at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards held at Cipriani 25 Broadway on December 03, 2025 in New York, New York.
Presenters throughout the evening further emphasized the awards’ cultural reach. Pusha T, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Michael Strahan, Jeff Daniels, June Ambrose, Kenneth Cole, Nigel Sylvester, Coco Gauff, Storm Reid, Gayle King, Olivia Palermo, Howie Mandel, Amina Muaddi, and Nikki O’Brien and Scott Conwell each took the stage to honor leaders across design, retail, innovation, and legacy. Special guests including Christie Brinkley, Sailor Brinkley Cook, Futura, Helen Lasichanh Williams, and Johannes Huebl were also spotted throughout the evening, reinforcing the event’s reputation as a meeting point for creatives shaping influence across industries.
The 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards were presented with support from Caleres, Listrak, Nordstrom, Skechers, Vibram, and Wolverine Worldwide, reflecting the breadth of brands invested in the industry’s continued growth and evolution. As the definitive authority for footwear industry decision-makers and shoe-loving consumers alike, Footwear News draws on more than 80 years of expertise to spotlight the people, products, and stories shaping the global shoe and sneaker market. Published by Penske Media Corporation and part of Fairchild Media Group, FN continues to connect insiders to the stars and legends of the business through its digital, print, and live-event platforms—including the iconic “Shoe Oscars.” The 39th annual ceremony served as both a celebration of enduring legacy and a forward-looking statement, reaffirming footwear’s lasting influence across fashion, sports, and retail.
K-pop group VERIVERY, seasoned performers in the scene, has returned with their long-awaited single album Lost and Found, unveiling a sound the group hasn’t explored since their last comeback two-and-a-half years ago.
Last Week DJ Khaled and We The Best Foundation hosted his 50th Birthday Celebration in tandem with his 3rd Annual Golf Classic Welcome Reception and Charity Auction. The star-studded affair was held at the illustrious Casadonna in Miami Beach and left nothing to be desired. Special guests included Vybz Kartel, J Balvin, Rich The Kid, Offset, Fabolous, Fat Joe, N.O.R.E, Omarion, Murda Beatz, Fridayy, Jarule, John Wall and more. From the love-filled gathering it was evident that Miami don’t play about Khaled. Not only that but guests supported his charity auction raising funds for the local community and those in need. In addition to Khaled’s birthday, he was also celebrating both he and his wife turning 50! The evening included lite bites, hors d’oeuvre and desserts that circulated all night, an open bar with premium liquor and the opportunity to connect with the industry’s elite and most beloved power players. Heavy hitters from the music, fashion, sports, entertainment and art industries all collided under one roof for DJ Khaled. Khaled’s annual golf classic has become a staple during Miami Art Week and continues to grow bigger and better each year leading to more charity funding. The evening was a success from start to finish. Head over to our Instagram to check out our exclusives from the carpet.
Khaled x Offset
Khaled x J Balvin
Khaled x N.O.R.E.
Khaled x Murda Beatz
Photo Credits: DJ Khaled Instagram
On December 2, the American Austrian Foundation hosted its Music for Medicine fundraiser event among a mix of supporters, artists, and medical leaders.
The Open Medical Institute, the program at the center of the evening, has a mission that trains physicians from low-income countries and sends them back equipped with skills their home systems rarely have room to teach. Since the early nineties, it has awarded more than thirty thousand fellowships.
Pablo Legorreta and Dr. Wolfgang Aulitzky (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC)
When AAF President Robert P. Wessely reminded the crowd that trust in medical expertise shifts while demand for training does not, his comments resonated with the audience. CEO Wolfgang Aulitzky followed with a story about a Nigerian doctor who attended OMI’s early otology sessions in Salzburg and returned home to build the busiest cochlear implant team in the country.
This shift set up the night’s most anticipated moment. Three members of the Vienna Philharmonic took their seats in front of an audience that had settled into a kind of focused quiet. Violinist Yamen Saadi, violist Sebastian Führlinger, and cellist Bernhard Naoki Hedenborg opened with Schubert’s String Trio in B-flat Major. The playing was clean and steady, with a sense of exactness carried without strain. Beethoven’s String Trio in C Minor followed. The piece has more grit and momentum, and the trio caught its shape quickly. Saadi’s lines were clear and direct, and Führlinger’s tone added an even warmth, while Hedenborg kept the sound grounded with a sense of control that never felt heavy.
Yamen Saadi, Bernhard Naoki Hedenborg and Sebastian Fuehrlinger (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC)
The trio kept the audience captivated during the performance, with heads angled slightly forward and hands resting still.
The crowd included a mix of AAF board members and New York regulars who understand the rhythm of nights like this. Jeanne Andlinger and Margaret Crotty were present along with Antonio M. Gotto and Mathias Bostrom. American Ballet Theatre’s Skylar Brandt and Vladimir Rumyantsev were also in the room. Conversation between pieces moved from the music to the growing reach of OMI’s work. Pablo Legorreta, chairman of AMDA, spoke about the Mexico-based partnership that has brought more than five thousand doctors to Salzburg for training and has grown into a national program that trained more than five hundred physicians last year.
What stood out was how the music and the mission echoed each other. Both depend on expertise shared in close quarters. Both rely on small groups doing precise work that scales far beyond the room. Nothing during the night tried to inflate that connection. It appeared naturally in the way the audience listened, the way the musicians played, and the way the organization described its impact.
(Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC/PMC)
By the time people began to leave, the atmosphere had shifted again. The club was still elegant but felt less formal and more aware. Music for Medicine ended without spectacle, but it did not fade. It left the impression of an evening that understood its purpose and delivered on it with clarity rather than volume.
Last night we attended the star-studded NYLON House presented by e.l.f. Cosmetics at Miami Art Week.
Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and 112 founding member Q Parker is stepping into a powerful new chapter, and he brought that energy to his sit-down with The Knockturnal. With the highly anticipated release of his new album Evolution of Romance, Volume One, Q opens up about returning to the music scene with purpose, passion, and a renewed sense of artistry.
Lana Love has never been an artist you can box in and she makes that crystal clear in her latest conversation with The Knockturnal. Fresh off the release of her new EP Antidote, the rising pop disruptor sat down with us to talk transformation, creative risk-taking, and how a chance connection led to one of the most unexpected collaborations of her career.
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