NEW YORK—The Accessories Council has opened the entry submission period for its 3rd annual Design Excellence Awards. Building on its history of honoring individuals and companies, the Accessories Council launched the Design Excellence Awards in 2019 to expand the recognition of outstanding products, including optical eyewear, sunwear, personal protective equipment, social impact products, sustainability and tech & innovation, among other fashion accessories. Entries are now open through July 16. "We are very proud of the way this awards program has developed," remarked Karen Giberson, president, Accessories Council. "We are seeing the finalists and winners use their recognition at the wholesale and retail level. We have seen the mention in companies' annual reports, press statements and seen our trophies at trade shows."

Details about the program, criteria and the rules process for submissions are posted here.
 
Finalists and the Accessories Council Design Excellence Hall of Fame Winner will be announced on Monday, August 2 at 9 a.m. ET. Winners will be announced during a virtual awards event on Wednesday, September 8th at 12 p.m. ET. 
 
Last year's program generated over 110,000 votes for products ensuring that finalists and winners will receive widespread recognition for their product and brand as part of the Design Excellence Awards, the Council said. Each finalist and winner also receives an “AC Seal” that can be used on products for the life of the item such as trade shows, annual reports, social media, and more. This year, winners will be featured in the Fall edition of AC Magazine, which will publish the first week of October.
 
Sponsors for the 2021 awards are Blackglama Exclusively by Saga Furs, JOOR (Tech & Innovation Award) and Marchon Eyewear (trophies). Once finalists are announced, voting will take place on the JOOR website, giving finalists exposure to that site's family of retailers. 

Accessories Council members and non-member companies can enter. Questions about submissions and parameters for products submitted to the Design Excellence Awards can be directed to leena@accessoriescouncil.org.
 
The Accessories Council, a not-for-profit international trade association, was established in 1994. Its mission is to stimulate consumer awareness and demand for fashion accessory products. The Accessories Council serves the industry globally, which generates over $54 billion dollars annually in the United States alone. Membership is represented internationally by the world’s leading brand names, designers, publications, retailers and associated providers for the accessories, eyewear and footwear industries.