The Markopoulos Circle Connects Retail Design and Museum Exhibition

IN AN ANNUAL mid-January celebration, an esteemed group of design professionals met at the Ralph Pucci Showroom in New York City to mark the 27th presentation of the coveted Markopoulos Award.

One of the most prestigious recognitions in the retail design industry, the award is named in honor of the late Andrew Markopoulos and has been presented each year since 1997 to exceptional individuals in the retail design industry. These creatives have consistently produced innovative and inspirational work while exemplifying Mr. Markopoulos’ high standard of professionalism.

Photography: Thomas Iannaccone, New York

The unwavering level of excellence associated with the Markopoulos name continues to inspire all within the retail design industry. During his tenure as SVP of Visual Merchandising and Store Design for the department store division of Dayton-Hudson, he left an indelible mark on the fabric of the retail design community. With a heightened sense of dignity, class and vision, Mr. Markopoulos elevated the profession of retail design to an art form. While it’s understood that art serves three main functions – storytelling, cultural commentary and documentation – as well as the enrichment of our lives, Mr. Markopoulos demonstrated that a well-designed retail environment does all three.

In keeping with the core values of Mr. Markopoulos and the attributes he embodied, the Markopoulos Circle has expanded its vision beyond the boundaries of retail design to recognize those in all sectors of the art and design world who have made a contribution to the well-being of the creative spirit. With this expanded vision, the Markopoulos Circle presented this year’s Markopoulos Award to Andrew Bolton, OBE, Curator in Charge, The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mr. Bolton joined The Costume Institute in 2002 as Associate Curator and was named Curator in 2006. In January 2016, he became Curator in Charge upon the retirement of his predecessor, Harold Koda. Mr. Bolton has curated some of the museum’s most visited exhibitions, including “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (2011),” “China Through the Looking Glass (2015),” “Camp: Notes on Fashion (2019),” and “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and an Anthology of Fashion (2021 and 2022),” as well as the Museum’s most attended show, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (2018).” This exhibition attracted more than 1.65 million visitors to The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. His recent exhibitions include “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty (2023),” and “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion (2024).”

Prior to joining The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mr. Bolton worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London for nine years as Senior Research Fellow in Contemporary Fashion, and prior to that as Curatorial Assistant in the Far Eastern Department. During this period, he also curated exhibitions at the London College of Fashion. Additionally, he has authored and co-authored more than 20 books, and lectures and contributes scholarly articles to various publications.

Photography: Thomas Iannaccone, New York

Mr. Bolton has received numerous awards, including the Fashion Group International Superstar Award in 2023 and Oracle Award in 2016; the Vilcek Prize in Fashion in 2015; the Best Monographic Exhibition from the Association of Art Museum Curators for Alexander McQueen in 2011; and the Richard Martin Award for Excellence from The Costume Society of America for American Woman in 2010 and also for Poiret (with Harold Koda) in 2007. In June 2023, he became an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

The excitement in the room was palpable as the large gathering of 150 plus, including Anna Sui, Nicole Miller, Linda Fargo, Nancy Chilton and Nicole Fischelis, helped welcome Mr. Bolton into the Markopoulos Circle. Also in attendance were previous Markopoulos recipients Ralph Pucci, Dan Evans, Tom Beebe, Judy Bell, Matthew Yokobosky, Christine Belich, Linda Lombardy and Harry Cunningham.

Two very special guests at the festivities were Andrew Markopoulos’s daughter, Nicole Markopoulos McCullar, and his youngest granddaughter. Ever grateful for the continued recognition of her father’s contributions to the expanded world of design, McCullar said, “The evening held deep significance for me, not only in celebrating Andrew Bolton’s well-deserved recognition but also in reflecting on the legacy my father left behind. He would have been incredibly proud to see the continued influence of artistry and innovation being honored in such a meaningful way.”

Representing VMSD magazine, the sponsors of the event, were Murray Kasmenn, Vice President, Group Brand Director, and Carly Hagedon, Editor-in-Chief of VMSD. Hagedon said, “VMSD is proud to help present the annual Markopoulos Award. This legendary industry award recognizes some of the greatest retail creatives, from those whose career work focused on store design to manufacturing to visual merchandising and beyond. It’s exciting to witness the evolution of this award recognizing those ‘adjacent’ to the retail industry too, like this year’s much-deserved honoree, Andrew Bolton, OBE. Like retailers create sensorial journeys in store, Andrew designs immersive experiences for his guests in exhibitions through the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

This year’s event was organized by Markopoulos Circle members Dan Evans, Ralph Pucci, Tom Beebe, and myself, alongside VMSD’s Carly Hagedon. With an eye toward the future, Hagedon added, “As we move further into the 21st century, awards like Markopoulos are so crucial in order to remind us not only of the tried-and-true principles of design and visual merchandising, but the importance of crafting a story.”