“Hi, Rihanna,” Tepper Itzler said as she accepted the Launch of the Year award on behalf of her mother Sneex founder Sara Blakely at the 2024 FNAAs on Wednesday night.
Indeed, the 8-year-old daughter of Blakely, who was joined on stage by Amy Griffin, stole the show at Cipriani South Street as the crowd of nearly 400 guests cheered her on during the speech.
“I’m accepting this award on behalf of my mom,” Itzler said. “She is in Dubai. I’m a little nervous because I have never given an acceptance speech before, but my mom always says, ‘With hard work, anything is possible.’ I think Sneex is amazing. As you can see, I’m wearing my mom’s Sneex from her closet right now.”
The adorable moment continued with some fun facts about Blakely. “Some things you all don’t know about my mom are, number one, that she’s a great back scratcher, number two, she makes amazing pancakes on Sunday, and number three, she makes great Sneex,” Itzler said.
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This isn’t Blakely’s first time in the rodeo. The entrepreneur is most well known as the founder of the Spanx intimates’ brand, which launched in 2000 and was built it into a market leader valued at $1.2 billion as of 2021, when Blackstone acquired a majority stake.
Now, the entrepreneur is leveraging the power of online platforms to bolster her new Sneex luxury shoe brand, which began selling direct to consumer in August. And it’s certainly gained attention, landing on Oprah’s Favorite Things list for the holidays and garnering celebrity fans that include Gayle King, Jane Fonda, Reese Witherspoon and Hoda Kotb.
With Sneex, Blakely has introduced a new footwear silhouette she’s dubbed a “hy-heel” that merges an athletic sneaker with a stiletto. The collection — which is made in Spain with luxurious nappa leather and Italian mesh — so far consists of three styles retailing for $395 to $595.
For 38 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 2024 event is supported by sponsors Listrak, Marc Fisher, Nordstrom and Vibram.
