J Balvin brought his signature, eccentric style to the red carpet at the 2022 ACE Awards in New York on Monday night. The Colombian singer was honored by the Accessories Council with the Global Style Icon Award.
“I do what feels right — that’s it,” Balvin told FN on the red carpet, dressed in head-to-toe Dior, complete with a structured hat and the brand’s popular saddle bag. The look was a familiar one as the superstar also wore Dior when he took home the FN Achievement Award for Style Influencer of the Year in 2019.
Since then, Balvin has taken the fashion industry by storm, releasing collaborations with Guess, McDonald’s, Miller Lite and Jordan Brand.
J Balvin in Dior at the 26th Annual ACE Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street on August 01, 2022 in New York. CREDIT: Getty Images for Accessories Council
Next up, the “In Da Getto” singer will be dropping a new Air Jordan 2 collab on Sept. 15., that has a special meaning.
“Every shoe we have has a story,” explained Balvin, noting the style includes LED light-up features and blue skies graphics. “This is about wellness, mental health and how people go into darkness but find the light. It’s a beautiful story.”
Last year, Balvin welcomed a son with model Valentina Ferrer (who also made an appearance at the ACE Awards), and he’s adamant about remaining true to his unique sense of style, despite being a new father. “I remember when I used to see my friends becoming dads — they changed completely the way they dressed. I was like, ‘Man, you look like a dad. Just keep being you.’ I’m not going to change. I’m going to keep it real,” he said, adding that there will be zero dad sneakers in the near future.
In addition to Balvin, this year’s ACE Award recipients included Kurt Geiger London for brand of the year, Moda Operandi for the retailer of the year, as well as “And Just Like That” costume designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago, who took home the influencer award.
“Every single winner this year has figured out a way to overcome COVID-19, supply chain issues, tariffs and more things that have happened to our industry. They looked these obstacles in the face and said, ‘We got it.’ They have developed amazing product, they innovated,” Accessories Council president and CEO Karen Giberson said.
Established in 1994, the Accessories Council is a nonprofit international trade association that aims to stimulate consumer awareness and demand for fashion accessories, including footwear. Here, a full list of this year’s ACE Awards honorees. Other guests included Coco Rocha, Adwoa Aboah, Karen Pittman, Sarita Choudhury and Mario Cantone.
Global Style Icon: J Balvin
Brand of the Year: Kurt Geiger London
Brand Excellence: Rimowa
Retailer of the Year: Moda Operandi
Hall of Fame: Josie Natori
Breakthrough: Victor Glemaud
Launch: Veronica Beard
Legacy: Vera Bradley
Influencers: Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago, ‘And Just Like That’
Visionary: Ben Clymer, founder of Hodinkee
Retail Innovation: LensCrafters