Group Dynamics
FGI Celebrates Its Night of Stars
In the words of emcee Simon Doonan, the Fashion Group International's 28th Annual Night of Stars at Cipriani Wall Street was about celebrating the "magic, bravado, and the positivity of great designers." After briefly paying tribute to such late fashion innovators as Franco Moschino and Perry Ellis, Doonan turned the attention to the evening's honorees, a group that included Raf Simons, Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Daphne Guinness, and Wanda Ferragamo. "I have really good news for you," the man on the mike joked. "They all promised to make incredibly short speeches."
Meanwhile, we spotted award presenter Jessica Biel in the ladies' restroom studiously reviewing the note cards she had prepared for her speech. After making her way to the stage in a gown from Giambattista Valli's first collection, she said, "When I think of Giambattista, I think of vodka, pickles, caviar, and pearls. He is the kind of man who keeps you out until 4 a.m. and then uses the night's adventures as inspiration in the morning." The designer later confirmed that it's the wee-hour escapades, and the ladies (Biel included), that drive his work. "I would like to thank Bianca [Brandolini d'Adda], my muse, and all the Valli girls, the ones that call me Giamba," he said.
Valli was followed by a stream of all-star honorees and presenters, but one in particular stood taller than the rest. "Normally, I get awards on the basketball court, but this is pretty great," said Amar'e Stoudemire, accepting the Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle award. The six-time NBA All-Star has a clothing collection with Rachel Roy and recently launched a Nike Air Max Sweep B-ball shoe. "Basketball is fairly easy. Designing is a lot of hard work, and you don't really see everything that goes into it," he told Style.com. "I met Oscar de la Renta tonight—he's a real legend, top-notch."
ERROR:
