Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Style and SCAD

Russell Simmons, Amanda Burden, Paula S. Wallace, Cornelia Guest, Robin Givhan, and William Ivey Long at SCAD Style Etoile Awards.

Monday night's SCAD Style Etoile Awards, presented annually by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), was as hot an event as you can put together today.

Russell Simmons, Amanda Burden, William Ivey Long, Robin Givhan and Cornelia Guest were honored this past Monday night with SCAD Style Etoile Awards by Paula Wallace co-founder and President of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) at the James Cohan Gallery at 533 West 26th Street. SCAD professors and students created art installations for the event, inspired by the myth of Icarus and designed by Wallace's husband, Glenn.

The recipients all excel in style or design – to which many of SCAD's students aspire – and represent a way of life consistent with their respective fields.

Actress, philanthropist, equestrian Cornelia Guest, who is curator to her late mother's C.Z. Guest Wardrobe Collection which she donated to SCAD along with several thoroughbred horses for their riding academy, received an award as well. In her acceptance, she said she will travel to Savannah in two weeks to speak to SCAD students during their month-long style celebration, capped off by a major fashion show.

Dean Winters

Carolyn Carr

Mario Buatta and Enid Nemy

William Ivey Long, five-time Tony winner ("Hairspray," "The Producers," "Grey Gardens," "Nine," and "Crazy for You") will also go to Savannah to speak to students. When he received his award, he talked about the incredible results and influence that SCAD graduates have in the marketplace.

And last but not least, Pulitzer Prize-winning Fashion Editor of the Washington Post, Robin Givhan talked about the importance of maintaining style and creativity in difficult times like today.

Guests included Anne Slater and John Cahill, Paige Peterson along with her daughter Alexandra, who brought her beau (actor Will Cart), David Mortimer, Marie Cooper Janis, Paul Beirne, Kevin Sessums, Agnes Gund, Stephanie Labeille (head of marketing for Catherine Malandrino), Kim Garfunkel with son James, TV producer Tom Fontana, actor Dean Winters, designer and author Cynthia Rowley, Ruffian designers Claude Morais and Brian Wolk, Trading Spaces' Hildi Santo-Tomas, fashion designer Yigal Azrouël, casting director and producer Bonnie Timmerman, former Columbia Records president Michael Mauldin and his wife Judy and former VP of Women's Fashion at Saks Fifth Avenue, Michael Fink.

Amanda Burden and Cornelia Guest

Cynthia Rowley

Anne Slater

Amanda Garcia Santana and Yigal Azrouel

Will Cart, Bobby Zarem, and Paige Peterson

Robin Givhan, Ann Watson, and Amy Rossi

Amy Rosi and Michael Fink

Brian Wolk and Claude Morais

Russell Simmons, Paula S. Wallace, and Julie Henderson

Last Thursday night at Cipriani 42nd Street, Saks Fifth Avenue’s CEO Steven Sadove was honored by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and FIT’s Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries benefit gala. Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented the Award. Among those attending were Carolina Herrera, Jason Wu, Peter Som, Olivia Chantecaille, Fern Mallis, Steven Kolb, Amy Astley, Susan Fales Hill, Daniel Peres, Sarah Wynter, Robbie Meyers, Joe Zee, Josie Natori, Stacy Bendet Eisner, Jay Strongwater, Diana Taylor, Giorgio Canali, Roger Farah, Andrew Rosen, Marco Giacometti, Pamela Baxter, Henri Barguirdjian, Caroline Brown, Ron Frasch, and Tom Florio.

Susan Fales-Hill, Karin Sadove, Joyce Brown, and Terry Agins

Steve and Karin Sadove

Karin and Steve Sadove, Mayor Bloomberg, Joyce Brown, and friends

The gala benefited FIT’s Educational Development Fund which assists the college with scholarships, technology, and student services, among other priorities.

Fern Mallis and Terron Schaefer

Denise Incandela, the Sadoves, and Terron Schaefer

Sarah Wynter

Jason Wu and Olivia Chantecaille

Georgia and Ron Frasch

Mayor Bloomberg presenting Steve Sadove with award

Peter Som and Amy Astley

Carl McCall and Joyce Brown

Robbie Meyers

Stacy Bendet Eisner

Scott Harrison

Peter Lyden and Susan Fales-Hill

Reinaldo and Carolina Herrera

Michele Gerber Klein, a board member at the New Museum and Cooper Hewitt, held a private dinner for designer Alvin Valley at Via dei Mille in Soho. The small affair brought out friends including Annie Churchill, Maggie Katz, Bobbie Thomas, Steve Zucker, Tony Ingrao, Randy Kemper, Dalal Elhabashi, Liz Maidman, Bethenny Frankel, Cindy Guyer, Alexandra Wilson, Zoe and Towson Remmel, Elaine Sargent, and Michael Gross.

Elbi Askin

Bethenny Frankel

Cindy Guyer

Guests enjoyed a menu of rock shrimp, chestnut and duck ravioli, and veal meatballs courtesy of Via dei Mille owners Giuseppe Tuosto and Barry Mullineaux before heading to M2 for the after party. Among those spotted dancing late in to the night were Renee Lucas, Jennifer Rich, Amanda Awad, Syl Tang, and Stephanie Xethalis.