Ancuta Sarca received the Emerging Talent award during the 37th annual FN Achievement Awards held in New York on Wednesday. During the ceremony, the award was presented to Sarca by fellow designer Mary Alice Malone.
“It’s very difficult to find the words to express how I feel right now,” Sarca said after taking the stage to receive her accolade. “Four years ago, when I started my brand from my living room, I could have never imagined that my first ever trip to the United States would be taken to receive an Emerging Talent award. I am extremely grateful for my schooling and for my family in Romania for giving me a strong work ethic.”
Sarca received her bachelor’s degree and MA in Fashion Womenswear at the University of Art and Design of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
The Romanian-born designer is a champion for sustainable practices, taking Nike deadstock and turning it into proverbial gold. Her sneaker heel hybrid has garnered major attention in the fashion and footwear scenes, worn by some fashionable figures, including Bella Hadid, Cher, Rosalia and Rihanna. Sarca’s eponymous label debuted in 2019 during London Fashion Week with help from the non-profit designer support project Fashion East.
Sarca aims to reduce fashion’s looming waste by utilizing recycled fabric scraps and repurposing them into something entirely new. Sarca’s label features sustainability at its core, offering fashion and footwear-hungry audiences unique athletic-inspired pieces with a feminine touch. Since its beginnings, Sarca’s brand has taken off. The young designer recently collabora
For 37 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2023 event is supported by sponsors Authentic Brands Group, Birdies, Caleres, Crocs, FDRA, Nordstrom, Saucony and Vibram.
Amina Ayoud is an Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where she writes stories about everything from celebrity style to breaking fashion and shoe releases. Ayoud cultivated a love of all things fashion early in life thanks to a deep love of fashion history and the luxury industry. In her free time, Ayoud is a self-proclaimed fashion nerd and thriftaholic.
