The 2013 Trailblazer Awards had 3 recipients:

Leslie Russo, President of Fashion Events and Properties for IMG  Layana Aguilar, Founder of Fashion Squad School Christine Handy, Writer, Model, and Breast Cancer Survivor

Leslie Russo started her career at Andy Warhol’s Interview in the late ’90s and went on to spend 15 years at Condé Nast, overseeing a rotating stable of brands including Glamour, Details, W, and Brides. Most recently, Russo served as a consultant for start-ups as well as mature businesses, including Harper’s Bazaar, Man of the World, No. One White Street, and WhoSay.

Layana Aguilar is the designer and Project Runway Season 11 participant behind the eponymous contemporary womenswear label that celebrates womanhood and the founder of The Fashion Squad School. Thus the Fashion Squad School was born in 2019. Through her fashion school, Layana empowers and inspires kids to channel their creative energy and passion for fashion into learning the fundamentals of how to create their designs.

Christine Hardy had a talent for modeling and could be seen on campaigns for distinguished brands such as Guess, J. Crew, JCPenney, Pepsi, Target, and more. Her lifestyle took a hard turn at 35 when health issues arose and by 42, Christine was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. With the support of her faith, family, and friends, referred to as her “team of angels”, Christine won her battle and devoted her life to spreading hope, encouragement, and selflessness. Christine is the bestselling author of “Walk Beside Me”,