It was all about accessories last night for the ACE Awards presented by the Accessories Council, and Modelinia has to give Agyness Deyn major credit for her outfit decorations. From the feathered eyelashes on her lower lids to the six Burberry bangles, Aggy was accessorized to perfection.
As she should have been, since she had the very important role in accepting Burberry’s Brand of the Year Award. “It’s a real honor,” said Agyness in all Burberry. “I love Christopher [Bailey], and I’ll do anything for Burberry.” While she showed off an all-black look last night, her favorite accessory ever is actually gold. “I have this really chunky gold chain that Christopher gave me a few seasons ago and I always wear that, like, all the time.”
Over dinner at Cipriani 42nd Street, guests including host Robert Verdi, Lady Gaga, Marc Jacobs, Christian Siriano, Hilary Rhoda (in Calvin Klein), Diane von Furstenburg, Hal Rubenstein, Alexander Wang, Glenda Bailey, Tomas Maier, and the iconic Barbie enjoyed an evening of accessory honors, as Erin Wasson dished about her favorite new piece: a handbag by Dries Van Noten, which transforms from an army surplus design into a crocodile bag.
But Agyness wasn’t the only model up on stage. Erin had her moment as well, presenting Blake Mycoskie of TOMS with the award for his humanitarian work. Dressed in a long sequined Victoria Beckham dress, Erin admitted she wasn’t wearing TOMS shoes, but not for lack of trying. “The train was too long,” she lamented. As the model turned designer is working on her own accessory line for her collections with RVCA, she’s currently finding inspiration in a myriad of different places. “I am just working on the new collection, so I spend a lot of time in bookstores, actually,” explained Erin. “A lot of time spent in the library and, amazingly, a lot of old house interior books from the ’60s and ’70s, you kind of see how shapes and things were just looked at differently as far as architecture goes back in the older times. It comes from everywhere, really!”
Maybe next year we’ll see Erin accepting an award for her designs? Or Molly Sims, who’s launching her very own line, Grayce by Molly Sims, this month. This year, she presented Diane with her award, and she matched her stunning dress by the designer with all of her own jewelry. “It’s all retro touches, kind of all-American classic, layering pieces, all under $100. It’s very day to night, it can add a lot. You can wear one piece, but you’re still always making a little bit of a statement. It’s all layering. I always have this thing that I’ve done for many years, like building your outfit around your jewelry and that’s what I’ve done, so I hope women take your basics and just make them fabulous.”
Which is precisely why accessories clearly need their own attention and dedication. Congrats to all the winners!
Burberry—Brand of the Year
Hal Rubenstein—Marylou Luther Award for Fashion Journalism
Fred Allard of Nine West—Influencer Award
Tomas Maier for Bottega Veneta—Designer of the Year
Diane von Furstenberg—Accessory Visionary Award
Lady Gaga—Stylemaker Award
Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes—Humanitarian Award
Zappos.com—Retailer of the Year
Gilt Groupe—Retail Innovation
V Magazine—Magazine of the Year
Barbie—Fashion Icon
