NY – As part of the third annual scholarship fundraising event, the Home Fashion Products Association (HFPA) Foundation and Home Textiles Today are co-presenting the September market cocktail gala, which will confer five accolades.
Cynthia Castillo of The Home Depot will receive the inaugural Home Excellence Leadership Award, which is granted to a single retailer who demonstrates exceptional merchandising skills within their product category or categories.
Editor’s note: This story’s original identification of the recipient as “Cathy” Castillo was inaccurate.
She started off as a sales associate for the massive home improvement company and worked her way up to the store level. After working as a merchant at the company’s Expo Design Center, she was promoted to a comparable position at the main business. As a merchant, she has concentrated on flooring and related services; in addition, she has managed the merchandising of paint, décor, and custom windows.
HTT had previously declared the other two awards.
The American Textile Company’s Lance and Blake Ruttenberg will receive the Home Excellence Award for Leadership for an individual supplier executive or executive team. The American Textile Company’s innovative culture and vision are recognized with this honor.
Evan H. Margolin of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), who played a key role in assisting numerous former tenants of 295 Fifth Avenue in moving into new locations along 5th Avenue following the renovation of the Textiles Building into a luxurious office space, will receive the Home Excellence Award for allied to the industry.
Soon, the names of two more recipients will be revealed:
An honor given to a retailer who excels in the expansion of home textiles
An honor given to a manufacturer or provider of home textiles who has excelled in growing their company
The yearly September market gala is already accepting registrations at https://cvent.me/wn2DPo.
The spirited cocktail party, which supports the scholarship program of the HFPA Foundation, will be held on Wednesday, September 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Harvard Club.
Hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, a student introduction to FIT’s home fashions program, and the announcement of the 2024 Home Excellence recipients are all planned for the two-hour event.
Since its founding in 1996, the Foundation has awarded scholarships to about 250 students. Presently, the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Thomas Jefferson University offer scholarships to students enrolled in surface design or home product marketing programs.
The main sponsor of the HFPA benefit is ProTecht. Sponsors of Gold include Lichtenberg and Loftex. A Silver sponsor is Rush & Company.
The Platinum Sponsor for the Home Excellence Awards is Supima, and the Silver and Bronze Sponsors are Cotton Incorporated and Welspun.
