Fashion Group International’s 32nd annual Night of Stars was held at Cipriani Wall Street last evening. Sponsored by Lord & Taylor with support from Hearst, Givaudan, LIM College and Arcade Beauty, the black tie dinner and awards ceremony was preceded by cocktails, and included musical performances by jazz musician Brian Newman and singer songwriter Tori Kelly.

Simon Doonan

Once again, it was hosted by Simon Doonan, who entertained the guests (which included Meryl Streep, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Linda Fargo, Tory Burch, Stefano Tonchi, Angela Missoni, Diane Kruger, Allison Williams, Leonard Lauder, Katie Holmes),  with his signature irreverent, off the wall observations during a dinner of scallop salad, Rack of Lamb, and Chilean Sea Bass.

Glenda Bailey

He had everyone laughing out loud when he said that when Margaret Hayes initially told him the theme was “The Revolutionaries”, he thought she had gone mad, thinking that she was referring to the Che Gueveras and Marxes of fashion. But then he ‘got’ it, and upon research, he learned that all the honorees showed early signs of being revolutionaries in their past and went on to explain (“When Alber Elbaz was in grade school, he trimmed his uniform with grosgrain and doused himself in Arpege”).

Anh Duong & Hamish Bowles

This popular event certainly lived up to its name, as the stars (star VIP guests, star honorees, and star presenters) were certainly out in force. And let’s face it; you can’t get much bigger than the legendary Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep or the multi-talented Justin Timberlake for that matter, both of whom were on hand and provided some of the best and most entertaining moments of the evening with their Oscar worthy performances. One even serenaded us (and no, it wasn’t Justin).

Stefano Tonchi & Tabitha Simmons

Meryl, dressed in a chic white Lanvin dress, received a thunderous standing ovation when, at the end of the night, she went on stage to present the Superstar Award to Lanvin’s creative director Alber Elbaz. She got everyone laughing talking about how, in that “beautiful dress by Alber”, she had to go into the kitchen and open up a can of liver and salmon to serve dinner to her hungry cat.

Jonathan Anderson and Julia Nobis

“Poetry in motion” is how she described his designs, and then she began to sing a few bars from Johnny Pillotson 1960s “Poetry in Motion”. “Alber is a poet and a mensch”. “When I wear the dress, I still feel like me, but a good version of myself. And when I take it off, it falls on the chair with a sigh. There’s no punishment in wearing Alber. It’s all about being comfortable with yourself.” “I know little of fashion. I don’t know how I got in that movie” (this got a lot of laughs). But fashion speaks to me. I studied costume design so I’m a real nightmare to work with because I have so many ideas. He just makes me feel lovely. It’s the beauty of his lines. The drop and the drape. His talent is breathtaking”.

Linda Fargo

Alber’s speech, which ended the night (it was about 10:45), was heartfelt and impassioned, just like his designs. With Meryl standing behind him, he explained that he had told Fashion Group’s Marylou Luther during Paris Fashion Week, that he needed an “extension” for his speech because he couldn’t do it within the “5 minute” time slot. He said he didn’t like the word revolution and preferred evolution. He spoke about our high tech world, how it’s changing everything, and said he was addicted to Instagram.

He talked about his love of movies and popcorn, and the dreams they enable him to have. “Films make me dream and laugh”. “Dreams make us go forward. Dreams make me go forward”. “We’re living in a smart world. Today we have too much information.” “I’m not against high tech, but it has to be mixed with beauty.” For him, it’s all about striking that balance, and about figuring out “what women need and what women want.” “I prefer to whisper than to speak loud.” He ended by thanking everyone who works with him at Lanvin. “I’m only the conductor of Lanvin”, he offered.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

Justin Timberlake is hands down one of the coolest cats on the planet in my opinion (he made my 2015 Best Dressed List). The showman and style icon, credited for “bringing sexy back”, was the recipient of the Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle Award, which was presented to him by designer Neil Barrett. But not before Tori Kelly went on stage with a show stopping rendition of Justin’s hit, “Suit and Tie”.

Katie Holmes

It was so good in fact, he actually said it was better than his own version. He admitted he did not write a speech because “I’m a musician and musicians never prepare for anything”. But he did have a list, and he was hysterical. He said that when Margaret Hayes told him he was receiving the Award, all he heard was the word ‘Oracle’, not Lord & Taylor, and said to himself, “I ‘m a fucking oracle?” He admitted he watches too much Matrix.

Neil Barrett

There was no denying that the evening was all about Alber. Before presenting the Brand Heritage Award to Bulgari, Glenda Bailey said, “Alber is the star of the evening- an entire galaxy!” She then recounted that Richard Burton had once observed that “the only Italian world Liz Taylor knew was Bulgari.” And when Roger Vivier’s creative director Bruno Frisoni received his Fashion Star Award from Katie Holmes (who said his “kindness matches his brilliance”), he gave a shout out to fellow honoree Alber: “You are a special man Alber and I’m happy I can call you my friend. This is such a special moment tonight because of Alber.”

John Demsey & Alina Cho

John Demsey gave the Beauty Star Award to Estee Lauder’s Karyn Khoury (“Estee Lauder was the first revolutionary in the beauty industry” she noted). Peter Harris gave the Interior Design Award to George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg of Yabu Pushelberg (Glenn, having fun, shouted out, “Margaret is a swell dame”). Andrew Morgan gave Eileen Fisher the Sustainability Award and praised her for “her profound sense of humility”. Eileen said her dream is to be “100% sustainable”.

Jason Wu & Diane Kruger

Jason Wu received his Fashion Star prize from gorgeous and always well turned out Diane Kruger, who explained that even though she considers herself to be fashion savvy, like most of us, she had really not known about Jason Wu until Michele Obama “made history” wearing his gown at the Inaugural Ball in 2008. Jason, who said he was “buying dolls on Ebay” prior to becoming a fashion designer, first met Margaret Hayes 7 years ago when he won Fashion Group’s Rising Star Award. “Margaret adopted me before adopting Asians was fashionable” he joked. Fellow Fashion Star honoree Jonathan Anderson received his award from the model Julia Nobis (“I never had to make a speech before. At a time when fashion is moving at the speed of boredom, collaborations are even more important. Man cannot do it alone” he said, and the thanked LVMH).

Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon handed Pinterest’s Evan Sharp the first ever Technology Innovation prize. “Girls” star Allison Williams gave eBay’s Marcelle Parrish the Retail Trailblazer award. Lew Frankfort awarded Karen Harvey the Humanitarian Award.

The evening ended just before 11PM and upon leaving, each guest was handed a good looking leather Christian Lacroix tote bag filled with goodies. While alas, it didn’t include a pair of Roger Vivier pumps, a Bulgari watch, or a fabulous frock by Lanvin, Jason Wu, or Jonathan Anderson (who designs for both JW Anderson and Lowe), there was a Lord & Taylor gift certificate, an Ebay gift card, a bottle of Pinot Grigio, a box of Godiva chocolates, an Eileen Fisher bag, and Tom Ford’s Noir eau de toilette among other things.

Lookonline’s Marilyn Kirschner with Elbaz Photo: Lieba Nesis

And on a final note, thankfully, the New York Mets clinched the division title on Wednesday night, so I didn’t have to miss most of what would have been game 5 last night. Go Mets!

The post Starry, Starry Night appeared first on lookonline.

Peter Copping and Marc Jacobs (All photos Lieba Nesis)

Last night, I attended Fashion Group International’s 31st annual “Night of Stars”.  Cipriani Wall Street was filled with stars from the worlds of  music, entertainment, business, beauty, and. of course, fashion. But the real star of the evening was the beloved designer Oscar de la Renta who passed away on Monday and continues to be in everyone’s thoughts and on their minds. And in what has to be the most fitting coincidence (either that or the folks at FGI are prescient), Peter Copping, Oscar’s successor, was there being honored as a Fashion Star (along with Joseph Altuzarra, Sarah Burton, and Brunello Cucinelli; with the Superstar Award going to Diane Von Furstenberg).

Giovanna Battaglia and Stefano Tonchi

Of course, when these awards were announced months ago, Peter was working as creative director at Nina Ricci in Paris. Who could foretell that he would subsequently leave his post and that Eliza Reed Bolen would make the formal announcement on Monday, October 20th, the day of Oscar’s passing, that he was named as Oscar de la Renta’s successor (Oscar made this selection himself).  And how fitting that the overall theme of the evening was “The Protagonists”, which translates from ancient Greek to mean, “one who plays the first part, is the chief actor or main character, central primary personal figure; the leading character, hero or heroine of a drama or other literary work; the first actor in ancient Greek drama who played not only the main role but also other roles when the main character was offstage”.

Debbie Harry with award winner Glenda Bailey

Let’s face it, the world of fashion is always rife with Greek dramas: (there are those never ending revolving doors, with designers taking on many different roles), and this is just one example of it coming to life. In any event, it was obvious that many people were eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of the man of the moment as he arrived on the red carpet (many did not even know what he looked like; but as I pointed out to a fellow guest, that will all soon change), and we were all curious as to what exactly he would say when he received his award. Before a wonderful dinner of filet mignon and Chilean Sea Bass (and prior to host Simon Doonan telling the crowd that he was on a mission to “liberate everyone” and then went into a hilarious bit about the time he hired a Queen Elizabeth lookalike to attend the opening of Barneys in Soho), FGI President Margaret Hayes took the stage to make her welcoming remarks and wasted no time in honoring Oscar, a “true gentleman”. She talked about how much he loved life and lived it with a purpose; how he was only one of three American designers to design haute couture in Paris, and observed that he was a mentor to many people in the room. “His mission was to make women look beautiful”.

Linda Fargo

When Marc Jacobs took the stage to give the award to Peter Copping, he noted that when he met Peter in 1997, he “knew he would be part of his team” (at Louis Vuitton in Paris). Marc positively effused about the designer, talking about his creativity, how he valued his opinions and his work ethic. When Peter announced to Marc that he was leaving to go to Nina Ricci, Marc said it was Louis Vuitton’s loss, and Ricci’s gain, and “he put his own unique stamp on that label”. “I’m thrilled to have Peter here in New York where we’ll be seeing more of him.”Upon taking the stage, Peter said, “I’m excited about this new challenge. But it’s obviously a bittersweet moment with this week’s events. I want to thank everyone for their support. I’m sure Oscar will be my guardian angel.”

Diane von Furstenberg and Karen Elson

Karen Elson took the podium to give Diane her Superstar Award, and described her as cool, sexy, “the epitome of foxy”. “She’s a powerhouse, a woman of extreme depth. I’ve not met a woman like her. I am constantly in awe of her. She is a mentor to so many and a massive force in philanthropy. She has shaped and paved the way for us all.” She asked people to stand to honor her and then Diane said, “This is what happens when you get old. People stand for you.” She talked about how fashion is a family, and observed, “We may look frivolous, but are also philanthropic.” She then began talking about her good friend Oscar de la Renta and her tone changed immediately. With tears in her eyes, she explained how she and Oscar always shared Saturday Night chicken dinners in Connecticut (where they had homes nearby), but that two weeks ago, it became more difficult for him to do so” and it was the last time she saw him. She began tearing up as she talked about how “he loved life, beauty, flowers”. “He was the best gossiper and he was mischievous.” “The only fitting tribute is to love life”. Then addressing Peter Copping, she said, “Oscar was very proud when he told me he chose you.”

Katie Couric and Lisa Paulsen

By the way, the best speeches were those that were short, sweet, and to the point, but the award for the shortest speech of the night, has to go to Sarah Burton. The famously shy designer quickly thanked several people including stylist Camilla Nickerson “for her inspiration”. Andrew Bolton, who presented the award, talked about how he met her in 2010 when he was working on the Alexander McQueen exhibition. He praised her “deep respect for craftsmanship and her technical brilliance” and noted, “She doesn’t design for herself which is unusual for a woman”. “Sarah isn’t channeling the McQueen DNA, she IS the McQueen DNA.”

Joseph Altuzarra and Michelle Monaghan

Actress Michelle Monaghan gave Joseph Altuzarra his award saying “he oozes sex appeal” (“both he and his clothes”) and praised his inherent goodness, eagerness, and optimism. “He is a legend in the making.” She recalled wearing his “incomparable leather fringe dress” to the 2014 Met Ball and said she felt like a “kid in a candy store.” When Joseph took to the podium, he remarked that it was only four years ago that he received Fashion Group’s Rising Star Award. “I feel incredibly blessed to be here tonight.” He then thanked his wonderful team and his husband of “5 days” for “supporting and loving him”. Brunello Cucinelli spoke almost entirely in Italian when he accepted his Fashion Star Award from Richard Story.

Mary J. Blige, Elie Tahari

There were performances by New York City’s Gay Men’s Chorus and music was provided by Brian Newman; best known for his collaboration with Lady Gaga. Speaking of musical legends, Debbie Harry was there to present Glenda Bailey with the Lord &Taylor Fashion Oracle Award and Mary J. Blige gave Elie Tahari the Brand Vision Award. Isabella Rossellini gave the Sustainability Award to Roger Schmid for Natura; Susan Kaufman gave Fossil’s Tom Kennedy his Corporate Leadership Award; L’Oreal’s Carol Hamilton received the Beauty Award from the team of Viktor & Rolf (their fragrance Flowerbomb is one of the top selling fragrances in the U.S.); Domenico De Sole gave William Sofield the Interior Design Award; and Katie Couric honored Lisa Paulsen with the Humanitarian Award. FYI, when Katie arrived on stage, she was unimpressed with the crowd’s rather unanimated welcome. “You could do better than that” she chided. “Come on, wake up!”  The self-effacing communications star said “This is such a swanky affair”. “I never know quite how to dress for these fashion events and so I turned to my good friend Carmen Marc Valvo to make my dress”.

Some random quotes gathered by Lieba Nesis during the evening:

Elie Tahari – What are you most looking forward to? “Seeing your dress and sharing the love with everyone”.

Diane von Furstenberg-Are you excited for the award? “I am really sad about Oscar”.

Wes Gordon-What are you looking forward to tonight? “I am looking forward to seeing Diane get her award.” Did you know Oscar? “Yes I interned for him for two summers and he came to my first presentation.  He always made women look beautiful and If I could be one tenth as good as him I would be happy.”

Jane Seymour-What was the most amazing thing that ever happened to you? “Being honored by the Queen of England-it was very ceremonious.” Who are your favorite designers? “Pamela Roland, Herve Leger, and Valentino.  I usually wear colors because they look better on camera.” What do you think of the way young stars dress today? “They all feel the need to look like pole dancers and I don’t do that, I like to wear classic couture.” Would you do plastic surgery? “No, I would rather play women my own age and besides fillers make people look like chipmunks.  I am comfortable with the older version of myself.” What is date night like for you and your husband? “Well he is currently dating somebody else so I don’t know. Yes we are getting divorced and I have a boyfriend-can’t tell you who.”

 Peter Copping– Why do you think Oscar chose you? “We share a lot of things in common and I can’t wait to be in NY with all the great energy-Paris is like living in a museum.” Will you stick to evening wear and what about designing for the red carpet? “We will do day wear and evening wear a whole range of things – but primarily evening wear. I don’t want to dress too many celebrities for the red carpet I want to just nail one look and stick with that – and I can’t say who I will be dressing yet.”

Selita Ebanks– What are you looking forward to tonight? “Just came here to see all the beautiful people” – spoken like a true Victoria’s Secret model!

It was all over when Simon told everyone they could go, and then it was a scramble to retrieve coats and umbrellas, and the very large and very heavy gift bags, which are always filled with wonderful goodies. Included this time was a Lord & Taylor gift certificate, Nina Ricci’s Bougie Parfumee, a cashmere scarf from Brunello Cucinelli, a handsome watch from Fossil, a Brian Newman Live from New York City CD, a black and white chain patterned nylon zippered bag from Diane Von Furstenberg, and a bottle of Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio.

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