Making Their Mark: 2023 Markopoulos Award

THIS PAST JANUARY 16, VMSD magazine was humbled to be a part of the 2023 Markopoulos Award, now in its 26th year, which honored famed architect Peter Marino of Peter Marino Architect PLLC (New York).

Ralph Pucci International’s showroom on West 18th Street in New York hosted the award celebration. A menagerie of industry greats were in attendance, some due to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF; Washington, D.C.) “Retail’s Big Show” that took place at the nearby Javits Center, Jan. 14-16, which draws upwards of 35,000 attendees from around the world.

Peter Marino was honored with the 2023 Markopoulos Award for his storied career across retail and design.

With the energy at an all-time high, Eric Feigenbaum, VMSD’s New York Editor, alongside Ralph Pucci, Nicole Markopoulos McCullar (Andrew Markopoulos’ youngest daughter), Dan Evans, EVP Marketing at Wests Design; Window Wizard and Creative Consultant Tom Beebe; and VMSD Editor-in-Chief Carly Hagedon, greeted the crowd. (Feigenbaum, Pucci, Evans and Beebe are all past Markopoulos Award winners.) After some inspirational remarks, Peter was soon presented with the award in front of the cheering room of onlookers.

Peter is a well-known figure in the retail and design industries, having created opulent luxury destinations for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Dior, among a litany of other jaw-dropping spaces – one being Tiffany & Co.’s “Landmark” store featured on the cover of VMSD’s July/August 2023 issue. His firm, founded in 1978, also designs hospitality and residential projects.

Named in honor of the late Andrew Markopoulos, the annual award recognizes designers and retailers who have left an indelible mark on our industry. Past winners include Ignaz Gorischek (1997); Tony Mancini (1998); Judy Bell (1999); James Mansour (2000); Linda Fargo (2001); Chuck Luckenbill (2002); Simon Doonan (2003); Christine Belich (2004); James Damian (2005); Michael Cape (2006); Jack Hruska (2007); Alfredo Paredes (2008); Ralph Pucci (2009); Tom Beebe (2010); Denny Gerdeman (2011); Eric Feigenbaum (2012); Joseph Feczko (2013); Harry Cunningham (2014); Ken Smart (2015); Bill Goddu (2016); Linda Lombardi (2017); Anne Kong (2018); Dan Evans (2019); Faye McCloud (2021); and Matthew Yokobosky (2022). Stay tuned to vmsd.com and markopoulosaward.com for more information regarding this coveted award.

Photography: Thomas Iannaccone, New York