Max Mara put on its dancing shoes this spring when the Italian fashion house hosted a performance at its store in the Design District. The event starred Javon Jones, a Detroit-based dancer, choreographer and winner of the first Max Mara Young Visionary Award for the National YoungArts Foundation. Sarah Arison, a YoungArts board member, was among the guests watching the high school senior’s short contemporary ballet set to a tune by James Blake.
Javon Jones, winner of the first Max Mara Young Visionary Award
Afterward, Max Mara presented him with a Christofle silver prize and $10,000 to put toward his dream. “I applied to YoungArts because other participants said it was life-changing, which is something you don’t hear a lot anymore,” says Jones, who began dancing in eighth grade. “The Max Mara Young Visionary Award aims to foster the future of art by recognizing and cultivating young talent,” notes Maria Giulia Maramotti, the brand’s U.S. retail director. “Javon’s original, fearless and provocative craft is emblematic of what will define contemporary art and inspire future generations.” 106 NE 39th Street; maxmara.com
