Stars including Janelle Monae and Cindy Crawford help Marie Claire magazine fete its 2017 Image Makers
Marie Claire magazine took to West Hollywood’s rain-soaked Catch LA rooftop restaurant Tuesday night for its second annual Image Maker Awards celebrating a handful of folks who work behind the scenes to help craft the look of Hollywood’s most stylish stars. With Marie Claire’s senior fashion director Zanna Roberts Rassi serving as master of ceremonies, the magazine handed out awards in eight categories, each presented by a high-profile client who’d known them for years.
The Icon: Hairstylist award, the first piece of hardware to be handed out, was presented by actress Jennifer Aniston to longtime hairstylist and friend Chris McMillan. “It’s my great pleasure,†Aniston said, “to give this acknowledgement to the man who I’d honestly be lost in the woods without — and I would actually look like I was lost in the woods without — it would not be pretty.â€
Photo Gallery: The 2017 Marie Claire Image Maker Awards »
Second to the stage was actress Margot Robbie, who presented the Icon: Makeup Artist award to Pati Dubroff. “Though she stands here tonight an accomplished and iconic makeup artist at the top of her game,†Robbie said, “let’s not forget that 30 years ago Pati was working the makeup counter at Bergdorf’s by day and dancing ‘Coyote Ugly’ style on the bar of a lesbian bar on the Lower East Side at night. … That’s one of the things I love about Pati.â€
The evening’s Dream Team award was presented by actress Elizabeth Olsen to longtime collaborators hairstylist Mark Townsend and makeup artist Kate Lee. “I first met Mark when he was doing my sisters’ [Mary Kate and Ashley’s] hair,†Olsen said, “and he actually did my hair for my first high school dance.â€
That was followed, in short order, by Marie Claire creative director Nina Garcia presenting Cristina Ehrlich with the 2017 Image Maker Award for Stylist, actress Lisa Kudrow presenting the Detail Maker award to hair colorist Kari Hill, and actress Jessica Alba handing the New Guard: Makeup Artist award to Daniel Martin.
The penultimate award of the evening, New Guard: Stylist, was presented by singer/actress Janelle Monae to her stylist of four years, Maeve Reilly. “When we first met, we didn’t talk because I was on vocal rest,†Monae recounted, “So I had to mouth everything to her. I said: ‘If she can crack through this — by reading my lips — I think we can work together.’ So I’d like to thank her for reading my lips and reading my mind.â€
Cindy Crawford took the stage to present the Icon: Fashion Designer award, the last honor of the evening, to Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing. “When Olivier was appointed designer of Balmain at the tender of age of only 25 ... he became the youngest designer [to head] a house since Yves Saint Laurent,†Crawford noted in her introductory remarks. “He has been a strong advocate for diversity in fashion and has contributed to evolving the industry’s perception of beauty to be varied and global — representing modern beauty.â€
When the 31-year-old came forward to accept his award, he confessed that his speech would, by necessity, have to be off the cuff. “As everybody knows, I love social media and I love my iPhone, and the problem is I saved all my notes on my iPhone. And it has no battery left ... so I will have to speak from my heart and not my notes.â€
“When you get an award from Cindy Crawford at my age,†he said, “you just realize that you’ve become someone. I don’t know who I became, but this is like a dream come true, a dream come true thanks to Cindy Crawford, and a dream come true thanks to Marie Claire.â€
Rousteing brought the ceremony to a poignant close by dedicating his award “to all the kids and all the people who might not have the best background in the world but believe in their dreams.â€
The evening’s star power wasn’t limited to the honorees and presenters though; over the course of the evening, we spotted Kylie Jenner (in a skin-baring purple ruffled outfit by Balmain), “Mr. Robot†actress Carly Chaikin (in Sandro’s Adel dress), Jessica Pare (“Mad Menâ€) in a black-and-white striped Camilla and Marc ensemble and stylish Hollywood newlyweds actress Lydia Hearst (in Carolina Herrera) and actor/writer/comedian/game-show host Chris Hardwick, whom she married in August.
Since Hardwick himself was looking sharp — in a tone-on-tone suit, tie and dress shirt ensemble — we couldn’t help but ask the provenance of his suit. “Scotch & Soda,†he told us. Hearst took the opportunity to point out the athleisure-inspired drawstring waistband of his suit pants. “Look, he’s sparking a trend!†she said with what we imagined was a hint of spousal pride in her voice.
The Image Makers are featured in more depth at the Marie Claire website as well as in the February 2017 print issue of the magazine.
For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn.
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