Reaching Excellence

Our final issue of the year is a special one. It’s when we hold space to recognize the Earnie Award winners of 2023 and salute the industry’s best in design, as voted by you, our readers. Using our magazine’s real estate to commemorate the creativity, passion and innovation that goes into the winning categories is a time-honored tradition at Earnshaw’s; our 19 Earnie Award winners join a more than 50-year-old legacy. We hope that you enjoy reading these profiles and find inspiration for your own brands, showrooms and stores.

The independent store that scored the honor of Retailer of the Year is Magpies of Nashville, Tenn., helmed by Maggie Tucker and her incredible team of buyers. It’s no small feat to continue to thrive during this roller coaster of retail times, but Magpies has had an unwavering commitment to building its brand and being there for the precious moments in life for parents, caregivers and children.

Our issue of excellence continues with our first-time Fashion Year in Review. Every edition of Earnshaw’s includes stunning photography that takes what we think is possible to the next level. Our team of Mariah Walker, Zoe Adlersberg, Stefano Azario, Nancy Campbell, and Trevett McCandliss—who are award winners in their own right—execute an extraordinary volume of tasks from the styling of samples to the final typography. We asked them to select their top 8 fashion photos, taking into consideration a host of criteria such as visual impact, composition and mood. At the heart of these photos are, of course, the children.

The children. The smallest customers who are the focal point of everything we do. With childhood poverty in the U.S. doubling in 2022, affecting 9 million kids, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, our most vulnerable populations need our help more than ever. Delivering Good (DG) has been distributing new apparel and merchandise to children and families in need for 36 years and just raised $1.6 million at its annual gala. We interview Merrie Keller, Director of Product Procurement, to understand the logistics of the organization and discover DG’s multi-purpose impact.

Please consider an end-of-year donation of product or funds—which go directly to shipping costs­—to this wonderful organization. There is always a great deal of need for all charities, but no matter which specific cause to which you choose to give, select a vetted nonprofit through these independent resources: Charity Navigator, GuideStar and the Better Business Bureau.

I would like to thank my hard-working Vice President and Publisher, Noelle Heffernan, for her constant optimism and deeply appreciated teamwork. Behind the scenes, Laurie Guptill ensures that our gorgeous pages get to the printer and make our deadlines while Mike Hoff troubleshoots our website and all things digital. Our newer Art Director Rosemary O’Connell has made a seamless transition, and I appreciate her work ethic and attention to detail. Congratulations to Lizette Chin for becoming our Senior Vice President. It certainly takes a village to publish Earnshaw’s, and I love being a part of this magazine and industry.

From our family to yours, we wish you a safe, healthy and peaceful New Year.