A boisterous Nelly brought the party to the 2022 Footwear News Achievement Awards as he reunited with Fergie and started a friendly competition with fellow presenter Idris Elba.”My only faux pas is that I didn’t get more screams than Idris,” the musician joked on stage at Cipriani South Street as he gave the Hall of Fame award to Caleres chairman and CEO Diane Sullivan. (Elba got huge applause when he presented the Lifetime Achievement Honor to his friend and collaborator Christian Louboutin.)
It’s clear that Nelly and Sullivan, who both live in St. Louis, have built a powerful friendship over the years. “I don’t think she’s going to retire. She can’t sit still,” Nelly told the crowd.
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Sullivan also brought in another famous friend to help her celebrate her big honor: Fergie. The songstress partnered with Caleres for many years on her former shoe collection and was there to help the company celebrate its 100th anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. “I think the trades completely stopped that afternoon when Fergie walked through the floor,” Sullivan joked.
It was a sweet reunion for Nelly and Fergie, who posed together on the red carpet 14 years after they teamed up on their song “Party People.”
For 36 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 2022 event is supported by presenting sponsor Nordstrom, as well as Caleres, FDRA, Merrell, Vibram and Volumental.
