
I am dedicating this month’s Vertical Runway Report to my ski fashion idol and trailblazing mentor, Barbara Alley Simon.
On April 4, Barbara will receive the United States Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s first Women in Industry Award to recognize her more than 50 years of dedication to alpine fashion. This award, which will be given annually, provides recognition to the outstanding women whose lifetime contributions have helped shape the U.S. snowsports industry.
The recipient of this award is a pioneer of the industry who has made an extraordinary impact through innovation, product design and functionality, fashion, marketing or any area within the industry. Barbara’s love of snowsports, the mountains and fashion spans decades, and I am thrilled that her incredible contributions to the growth of the snowsports industry are being recognized.
She always has been a head-turning beauty who has never shied away from breaking through glass ceilings and empowering other females to challenge the status quo, and ultimately, themselves. Barbara’s journey from fashion student and glamorous model to the fashion editor of Skiing Magazine and producer of nationally televised ski fashion shows is incredibly inspiring. Her next-level zest for adventure led her to not only ski the world but also climb mountains such as the Grand Teton and the Matterhorn. She has flown airplanes solo, made many parachute jumps and never allowed others to quell her exuberance for challenging herself.