DUBAI: Celebrity-loved Romanian Jordanian footwear designer Amina Muadi gave her 1.3 million Instagram followers a glimpse of her recent trip to Japan ahead of receiving the Designer of the Year award at the 2022 FN Achievement Awards in New York on Nov. 30.
The Footwear News Awards is hosted by the American industry magazine that specializes in covering the international footwear industry. This year, Muaddi will be awarded Designer of the Year, while Christian Louboutin will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Best Collaboration award will go to the “Manolo Blahnik for Birkenstock” collection, while the best shoe of the year has been unveiled as the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 by the late designer Virgil Abloh.
Muaddi – who headed to Japan after visiting Qatar, where she recently attended the Fashion Trust Arab Awards – shared two carousel posts on Instagram, giving her followers an inside glimpse into her time in the country.
Amidst the stylish pictures, Muaddi can be seen enjoying Japanese cuisine, posing by a luxury pool and exploring Tokyo at night.
Several friends joined her on the trip, including US Palestinian model and musician Fai Khadra.
Muadi took readers in on the ups and downs of her jet set lifestyle and career in an interview with Footwear News in September.
“I was very passionate, so I was willing to go through any hardship,” she told the publication. “There’s a reason why only so many people get to this point, because you test a lot.
“At times, I was close to giving up. I had to part ways with my partner, the makers, I have canceled (the order). It’s not about what you go through, it’s about how you survive the situation and how you thrive afterward. It is a never ending lesson.
The designer told the magazine that this year alone, her brand’s global sales revenue will total $55 million, but added that after becoming an established footwear and accessories maker, her difficulties have changed.
“It’s a matter of navigating and continuing, no matter what,” she said.
About a year after stepping down from his role as co-founder and creative director of luxury footwear label Oscar Tia, Muadi launched his eponymous footwear line in August 2018.
The shoemaker’s eponymous label’s distinct pumps, sling-backs, mules, shoes and sandals in an array of vibrant colors and holographic designs have garnered a loyal checklist of celebrity fans, including Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber Baldwin .
She helped design shoes for Rihanna’s Fenty collection. The collaboration was so successful that it won the Collaborator of the Year award at the 34th edition of the FN Achievement Awards.
In 2020, she debuted a line of jewelry and handbags and collaborated with Austrian brand Wolford on an exclusive 17-piece capsule collection of ready-to-wear looks in 2021.
In October 2021, she rose to a position on Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) and Footwear News’ list of the 50 Most Powerful Women.