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.
These prizes underscore the significance of immigrants and fashion to culture in the United States by recognizing the foreign-born individuals who bring their voices, cultural memories, and immigrant experiences to their work. Their unique creations not only capture the current cultural landscape but also encourage society to question artificial constructs of beauty.
Peter Do: Vilcek Prize for Fashion & Design
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.
The $50,000 Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design have been awarded to Jacques Agbobly, Marcelo Gutierrez, and Uyen Tran.
Jacques Agbobly: Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design
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 craftsmanship and memory of their home country.
Marcelo Gutierrez: Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design
Marcelo Gutierrez is redefining beauty standards in the industry through his subversive and culturally grounded makeup artistry. An immigrant from Colombia, Gutierrez has become one of the most sought-after makeup artists and creative directors in the US. His work redefines who is seen, celebrated, and considered beautiful in fashion.
Uyen Tran: Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design
Uyen Tran is recognized for her leadership in the development of sustainable products that support the health of people and the planet without sacrificing quality. Growing up in the coastal city of Da Nang, Vietnam, Tran witnessed the horrific environmental effects of climate change caused by fast-fashion practices. She founded TômTex Inc., named after the Vietnamese word for plants, which transforms mushrooms and organic materials into fabrics that mimic the beauty and performance of leather without plastics or toxins.
To learn more, visit vilcek.org.
