'Night of Stars' Pays Tribute to Oscar de la Renta
Last night’s Fashion Group’s “Night of Stars” gala celebrated the Protagonists, or as the program noted, “those who play leading roles in their own lives.” Jane Seymour had no problem talking about how she likes to lead. “I was on a shoot recently and the costume designers called all of the top design houses for dresses that would work for this character that is supposed to seduce Judd Hirsch,” she told Yahoo Style. “Nothing worked except what I had traveled with in my bag.”
As the evening kicked off Barneys’ Simon Doonan, the soiree’s host, took to the stage to discuss the leading role that he once took in his doorman’s life. Or so he thought. He regaled the crowd (including Matt Lauer, Tabitha Simmons, Karen Elson), with a tale of having to dress up as Queen Elizabeth for a Barneys party, “with big tits and a fake butt,” expecting his doorman to be horrified. Instead the man responded with “would you like your mail now or later?”
“You can light yourself on fire in this town,” Doonan noted. “No one cares.”
Then it came time for the actual awards, 13 of them to be exact. Among the top honors were the Fashion Star Awards that went out to Joseph Altuzarra (who thanked his husband of five days), Sarah Burton (who thanked Lee McQueen for all those fabulous years they worked together), Brunello Cucinelli (who accepted via translator), and Peter Copping. The latter was introduced by his former boss, Marc Jacobs, who admitted that he was “so thrilled” to have the designer in New York. Copping, as the world knows, recently became the creative director of Oscar de la Renta. “I’m excited about having the new challenge to be the creative director of Oscar de la Renta,” he said. “It’s a bittersweet moment with this week’s events…Oscar will be my guardian angel.”
Not surprisingly de la Renta was mentioned in nearly every speech. Harper’s Bazaar’s Glenda Bailey (receiving the Fashion Oracle Award from Lord & Taylor, the evening’s sponsor) said, “the only thing more sublime about Oscar’s clothes is the man himself.” Diane von Furstenberg, who took home the Superstar Award, showed a rare moment of emotion by tearing up at the podium. The designer revealed that de la Renta would come to her house every Saturday night for “Saturday night chicken.” And said that he came for chicken two weeks ago, and it was the last proper meal that he had. “Tonight I would like to speak to all of you as if Oscar was speaking to all of you,” she said, welling up. “He loved life. He really, really did. And he loved to sing. He loved flowers and he loved beauty. And he loved to be mischievous and make fun of people. And he was the best gossiper. And the only way that we can actually honor him is by loving life and loving fashion. And loving gardens and being full of life. I don’t usually cry.”