St. John’s own fashion designer, Igdaliah “Iggy” Pickering, will receive the distinguished Rising Star Award at the second annual Toast Gala, hosted by the community impact organization Kickin It. The event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Long Bay Beach Resort in the British Virgin Islands.
A proud Virgin Islander and founder of the brand IGDALYAH, Pickering has quickly made waves in the global fashion industry. Alongside building a future household brand of her own, she currently serves as Lead Designer for the Black-owned luxury brand Hanifa. Her Rising Star honor follows her show-stopping work featured at the 2025 MET Gala, where she was a part of the team that worked on the custom gown worn by Savannah James, wife of NBA star LeBron James and honorary chair of this year’s MET Gala.
Toast 2025 will take place under the stars during the territory’s Emancipation Festival season.
With this year’s theme ‘‘Together We Bloom,” the gala will invite the community to join the organization in its commitment to cultural preservation and creative development in the islands.
Reflecting on last year’s inaugural edition during a press conference that took place earlier today, Founder of Kickin It, Kyra James, reflected on the impact of the event’s first edition. “We created this event last year to kick-off our journey as a non-profit organization and envisioned it to be a place where community members can get to know our mission more intimately and pledge to help, because it still takes a village.” Expanding on the theme, James shared, “Just as flowers flourish with care and nourishment, and bouquets and gardens are even more beautiful than a single stem, our community thrives when we come together.”
Pickering joins a dynamic slate of honorees at Toast 2025, including actress, producer, and writer Issa Rae, who will receive the Global Influence Award. Kickin It Honors – the centerpiece of the evening’s celebrations – shines a powerful spotlight on outstanding creative professionals whose work transcends borders and disciplines—from visual arts and music to fashion, storytelling, and film. The mission of this award system is clear: to remind creative luminaries that their work matters.
• The 2025 Kickin It Honors recipients are:
• Issa Rae, Actress, Producer and Writer – Global Influence Award
• Skylar Marshai & Temitope ‘Temi’ Ibisanmi, Content Creators – Creative Catalyst Awards
• Tenille Clarke, Storyteller and Publicist – Cultural Impact Award
• IYAZ, Singer/Songwriter– Trailblazer Award
• Igdaliah Pickering, Fashion Designer – Rising Star Award
• Michael Winter Jr., Photographer – Rising Star Award
All 2025 honorees are formidable forces in their respective fields— global visionaries who are shaping culture through bold expression and championing community-rooted impact.
This year’s esteemed honorees, visiting creatives, local and regional changemakers, and cultural influencers will be present on Tortola, British Virgin Islands to walk the Toast green carpet set in the backdrop of a lush, coastal setting. As the main event begins, the gala invites attendees into an elegant experience featuring a Caribbean-inspired three-course dinner, handcrafted cocktails, live performances, and the highly anticipated Kickin It Honors ceremony—the night’s star-studded moment of recognition for the global tastemakers shaping the creative pulse of our region with the world.
Seats at Toast Gala 2025 can now be requested at kickinitvi.com/toast.
Additional photos and information about the honorees can be found here.
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About Kickin It
As a community-driven social impact organization, Kickin It is dedicated to preserving Virgin Islands culture, empowering local creatives, and building spaces of belonging among residents and the diaspora. The Toast Gala, held annually in the British Virgin Islands, is the marquee event of the organization that raises funds to directly support initiatives such as creative fellowships, online cultural education, conference access, and the expansion of its digital cultural archive.
For more event details on Toast Gala 2025, visit https://kickinitvi.com/toast/.
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