Fashion Group International included Latinas Yliana Yepez and Ana Paredes on its list of nominees for the 2016 Rising Star Fashion Awards.

Every year FGI nominates a few up and coming designers and fashion industry corporates who have contributed to the fashion industry in new and innovative ways.

According to Women's Wear Daily, the categories include the best in women's wear, men's wear, accessories, fine jewelry, beauty and fragrance, retail, and interior design.

Former model Yepez is up for the best in accessories prize. The handbag designer, who was raised in Caracas, Venezuela, has established herself as one of the most popular accessories designers in her home country. She caught the attention of fashion giants in New York with her Latin inspired luxury handbags.

Yepez, who is being nominated for a second time, explained to WWD the vision she had for her brand, which was inspired by her cultural background.

“For the first year of the company, it was all about what the market needs, what people want me to do, what-about-the-styles-that-weren’t-in-the-collection, and now it’s about what I want to do," she said. "I like colors and I’m Latin, and I’m into tropics, so this is what I am."

Fellow nominee Paredes is not a designer but rather the US Beauty Marketing Manager at Givenchy, one of the world's most popular French luxury brands. She is up for the beauty and fragrance corporate award and is a first time nominee.

Presenters for the awards will include Colombian fashion journalist Nina Garcia, Esquire magazine creative director David Curcurito, jewelry designer Carol Brodie, Birchbox's Katia Beauchamp, Bergdorf Goodman senior vice president of women's fashion Linda Fargo, and Elle magazine's beauty and fitness editor Emily Dougherty.

The FGI advisory board consists of a variety of influential figures in the arts, including fashion designer Diane Von Fürstenberg, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, William Lauder of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., and Cuban-American artist Ruben Toledo, among others.

The annual Rising Star Awards will be held on Jan. 28 in New York City and will feature an appearance from iconic fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.

Related