The Metropolitan Fashion Week (MetroFW) announced winners of its fashion and costume awards honoring outstanding achievements in fashion and costume design in motion pictures and television, during the 6th Annual Metropolitan Fashion Week Closing Gala and Fashion Awards, held at the iconic Los Angeles City Hall Forecourt and Rotunda on Saturday, October 6, 2018.

Three-time Academy Award® winner Makeup Artist, VE NEILL (A Star Is Born, Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire) was honored with the "Excellence" Award. Presenting the award to Ms. Neill was actor STEVE CARELL, best known for The Office, The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Foxcatcher and star to the upcoming movies Beautiful Boy and Welcome to Marwen. America's Next Top Model AVA CAPRA and Metropolitan Fashion Week Founder and President EDUARDO KHAWAM hosted the event, which was attended by over 1200 industry VIP's celebrities, costume and fashion designers.

Winners in the motion picture categories included a tie for Costume Designer of the Year - Motion Pictures: RUTH E. CARTER for her costume design in BLACK PANTHER (Marvel Studios) and MARY E. VOGT for her costume design in CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Warner Bros. Pictures); Costume Designer of the Year - Television: JACQUELINE DEMETERIO for her costume designs in YOUNGER (TV Land); Outstanding Ensemble For Make-Up Artist & Hair Stylist - Motion Picture or TV:  JOEL HARLOW, CAMILLE FRIEND & KEN DIAZ for BLACK PANTHER (Marvel Studios); Fashion Designer of the Year: Fashion Designer DOUGLAS TAPIA (Venezuela).

Award presenters included former Miss Universe and actress ALICIA MACHADO; celebrated Hollywood Medium TYLER HENRY, who was also filming segments of the fourth season of his TV show Hollywood Medium; Telemundo52 - Acceso Total Host ELVA SARAY; and MetroFW Fashion Director NIVEEN HEATON among others. BEBE CORONEL and JAQUIE RIVERA performed the Academy Award Winning song "City of Stars" to celebrate the event's location in the heart of Los Angeles.

In addition to the Metropolitan Fashion Awards, the Gala showcased a unique, exclusive one-of-a-kind runway fashion show featuring Fashion Designers MELLARDI, Giovanni Testi, Erick Bendaña and introducing the MetropolitanFashion Capsule Collection by Douglas Tapia, hats by Arturo Rios, and makeup exclusively by Cinema Makeup School. A special segment of Haute Couture and Avant Garde Masterpieces was also showcased, inspired by the KING TUT: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh Exhibit currently on display at the California Science Center, and designed by over 15 international fashion designers.

The show is produced and directed by EDUARDO KHAWAM, fashion expert, producer and TV personality for Telemundo and the CW, and Executive Producer PAUL JARAMILLO. During the 2018 Closing Gala MetroFW, NAZIK UTUCHIAN, Designers' Director, announced that next year's 2019 Metropolitan Fashion Week will be held at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Dates to be announced.

About METROPOLITAN FASHION WEEK
Metropolitan Fashion Week events are held in dramatic, non-traditional venues that showcase not just best fashion designers or costume designs, but the most beautiful venues each city has to offer. MetroFW is one of the fastest growing fashion weeks in the United States, with shows in Seattle, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.