Staff Reports | Free Press Philanthropy
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation presented its inaugural ICON Award to Fresh Start co-founder Pat Petznick Wick and fashion designer Carolina Herrera for their contributions to advancing opportunity and confidence for women.
The awards were presented during the nonprofit’s 30th annual gala from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 21, 2026, at The Phoenician in Scottsdale.
The event brought together more than 800 attendees and raised more than $3.5 million to support Fresh Start’s mission of helping Arizona women achieve self-sufficiency, according to a press release.
“The ICON Award pays tribute to those who believe in the power of investing in women’s potential and understand that true confidence is a catalyst that ignites possibility, inspires change, and uplifts generations,” said Kim McWaters, president and CEO of Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
Fresh Start officials said both honorees reflect the organization’s focus on empowerment and long-term impact. The foundation’s work centers on helping women build confidence, economic stability and career pathways.
Over more than three decades, Ms. Petznick Wick helped build Fresh Start into an organization that has served more than 65,000 women. Her leadership emphasized dignity, support and access to opportunity while shaping the foundation’s long‑term direction.
Ms. Herrera, a designer known for her international fashion career, founded her namesake brand in New York in 1981. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, she built a global fashion house recognized for refined tailoring and a design philosophy centered on confidence and individuality.
Over the course of her career, Ms. Herrera established a brand that continues under the creative leadership of Wes Gordon, who has served as creative director since 2018. The fashion house remains influential in dressing political figures, cultural leaders and global style icons.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from Fresh Start, an organization that has been doing extraordinary work of transforming women’s lives. It has been a privilege to support their important work which reminds us that investing in women’s potential is one of the most meaningful things we can do,” Ms. Herrera said. “I am grateful to be recognized by this organization that continues to inspire hope, dignity, and new beginnings for so many women in the community and beyond.”
A featured moment of the evening was a fashion presentation staged in partnership with Neiman Marcus Scottsdale. Tim Braun, vice president and general manager of the store, collaborated with Ms. Herrera to present the Carolina Herrera Spring 2026 collection, which debuted earlier this year in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Gordon attended the gala in support of the foundation.
This year’s gala theme, “A Legacy of Impact, A Future of Possibility,” marked the organization’s 30th anniversary and emphasized the role of sustained investment in women’s personal and professional growth.
