The Fashion Media Awards: All of the Best Moments

by Paige Reddinger

Kicking off The Daily‘s third-annual Fashion Media Awards at the Park Hyatt Hotel last night, were the lovely co-hosts supermodel Toni Garrn and actor Tony Goldwyn. First up, Sofia Coppola presented Stefano Tonchi of W for the award for Best September Issue. “Growing up, W was the epitome of sophisticated, grown up glamour, and when I opened the new September issue, it brought back all of the excitement of a big glossy magazine filled with beautiful photographs,” said Coppola. “From Steven Meisel’s beautiful, kitteny cover story to all the very different great stories inside, it’s everything you want a magazine to be, especially the legendary September issue and knowing all of the hard work that goes into it. I want to say congratulations to Stefano Tonchi and Edward Enninful and Lynn Hirschberg and all of the great team at W for the best September issue.” The ever dapper Tonchi, took to the podium to also thank his team along with Enninful, Hirschberg and their photography director, Caroline Wolf. He also thanked the photographers who make W’s pages so visually stellar each issue including, Steven Meisel, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, Alasdair McClellan, and Inez & Vinoodh. Fellow FMA winners from 2014, Inez & Vinoodh, were perched front row. “I would love to have them all up here to share with me this honor but we cannot fit them all on this podium, it will collapse!” said Tonchi of his talented team and contributors. “At W there are so many, so many talented people. It is great to see that after 40 years, more than 40 years actually, 44 right now I think, W still as a magazine to read, but even more as a multiple platform, digital platform, is going strong. So I look forward to many, many more September issues.”

 

Janice MinThe Hollywood Reporter, Best Fashion Issue of a Non-Fashion Magazine (Presenter: Wiz Khalifa)
“We’re very, very thrilled to be recognized for what we’ve done. This award isn’t really for me, but for Merle Ginsberg and Carol McColgin, who are standing here with me, they enable Hollywood Reporter to make its own fashion statement. As a result of their efforts, intelligence and taste The Hollywood Reporter now covers not just the inner workings of Hollywood stylists, but red carpets, fashion and film festivals, and the economic intersection of two interwoven industries. It’s so much fun to talk to them, they can tell you everything from who will be wearing what at next weekend’s Emmys while also explaining how Rodeo Drive today courts both Beverly Hills princesses and real Saudi royals as well. Coming up soon is our second annual Hollywood Reporters top 25 red carpet designers of the world. And it’s as close to the insiders details of how designers interact with actresses and stylists as you will ever get.”

Merle Ginsberg, The Hollywood Reporter, Best Fashion Issue of a Non-Fashion Magazine (Presenter: Wiz Khalifa)
“In my very long career in fashion and journalism, I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that you only get to be smart, funny, interesting, relevant, and sometimes a little bit crazy if your editors give you the space to do that. So I really want to thank Janice and Carol for having what I call fashion cajones—I know there’s not supposed to be any balls in fashion—but if there are, we have them. And you know who else would let me write a story about the cultural prevalence of butts over boobs.”

Jane Sarkin, Vanity Fair, Scoop of the Year (Presenter: Alan Cumming)
“Keeping this epic cover a secret was quite an ordeal, as you can imagine. My friends and family are still upset because they didn’t know about it until the release, but then Caitlyn Jenner didn’t know the release date either. She found out about it the minute it went up on our website, when her daughter Kendall [Jenner] told her. Without Graydon [Carter], we wouldn’t have had this story. I’d also like to thank Annie Leibowitz whose unparalleled eye introduced Caitlyn Jenner to the world. And Jessica Diehl, our fashion and style director, for creating a look for Caitlyn that made these photographs instantly iconic.

Lucy YeomansPorter, International Magazine of the Year (Presenter: Helena Christensen)
“Receiving this award tonight means so much, particularly since we’re only 10 issues in. It really does feel like just yesterday when I went to see my friend Natalie Massenet with an idea for a new global fashion magazine. A few months later she called me back and said, “Are you really serious about this? If you are, Net-A-Porter will back it.” Yes, we were part of this visionary, super-polished retail and tech company, but we didn’t have any of the infrastructure that we previously enjoyed at Hearst and Conde Nast—no fashion closet, no subscriptions team, no distribution department, no one to even order toilet paper. And my vision was to go global, so winning this award really has just been the most massive team effort ever. Huge thanks to Natalie for believing and backing our team and always pushing us each to think bigger, think differently, and mostly just to think, think, think until it hurts.”

Imran Amed, Business of Fashion, Best Digital Destination (Presenter: Ivan Bart)
“From the very beginning, back in the day when I wrote BOF from my sofa, my motivation to continue writing came from the feedback I received from our community. But this kind of recognition from the industry that we are a part o f is a really huge honor. If I’m 100% honest with you, it feels a bit premature for me to be standing in front of you today. I always thought that this was the kind of honor that you’ve reached toward the end of your career. We are now a team of 30 people spread across London, New York, and Shanghai, with writers all over the world. I’ve never really worked ever before with a more committed and passionate group of people. We don’t have huge salaries, we don’t have the most glamorous offices, but we are doing really meaningful exciting work. Everyone on my team, they care so much about the work that we do.  I accept this award on their behalf. Finally, I have some very special guests here with me today, from Vancouver, Canada: my parents. I don’t think they had an easy job with me, as from the start I was a hyperactive, curious, bossy kid, but they helped me channel the creative and analytical fields that form the foundation of BOF today. So mom and dad, thank you.”

Laverne Cox, Maybelline’s “Make It Happen” Award (Presenter: Katie Couric)
“I am so, so grateful to be here tonight to accept this ‘Make It Happen’ award. The reason I wanted Katie Couric to be here to present for me is because the moment that we had on her talk show, over a year and a half ago, changed the trajectory of my life and my career. I believe it changed the conversation about who transgender people are and how we tell their stories. In fashion, we talk about a jewelry story or an accessory story, it’s really all about stories and how we tell those stories. For far too long, for trans people, those stories focused on body and transition. I believe those stories objectify us. What’s so beautiful about the moment I had with Katie Couric on her talk show is that Katie allowed herself to be teachable in that moment. She demonstrated to me and to the world what an ally looks like. She invited me back on her show and asked me what conversations we should be having, and worked really closely with her producers, and we had a conversation about bias against trans women, particularly, as trans people, the incarceration discrimination that we experience so much in our community. I think Katie is an example for all of us. I would not be standing here tonight if it were not for my dear, sweet mother, Gloria Jean Cox, who loved me and nurtured me, who prioritized education and allowed me to take dance classes in 3rd grade when the entire community suggested that those dance classes would turn me gay—they did not. And my mother has been there to love and support me even when she didn’t quite understand what was going on with me, and I love her so much.  I would not be here tonight if it weren’t for my amazing agent Paul Hilepo. I love you Paul. Eight years ago I met Paul and Paul saw something in me that I didn’t quite see in myself, after many years of auditioning for agents and casting directors, being told I would never work as an actress because of who I am, Paul took a chance on me and here we are.  I would not be here tonight if it were not for all the trans people who come before me. Who blazed a trail that I can now walk on. I would not be here if it weren’t for Candis Cayne, who in 2007, became the first transgender woman to have a recurring role on prime time, and that show is Dirty, Sexy, Money, and that moment was a moment of deep possibility for me. It showed me an out and proud transgender woman who had a career on television. If it weren’t for Candis Cayne in that moment, I would not be here tonight. So many of you here tonight have been so generous to me, fashion beauty editors, and photographers, stylists, journalists.  I am so, so grateful for that. I started the hashtag earlier this year, #transisbeautiful, and I started that because years ago, when I started my transition, I’d walk down the street, and I’d hear people yell, ‘That’s a man!’ And I would be devastated, because here I was, I finally accepted my womanhood and the world is not reflecting that back on me. It took me years to finally internalize that if someone can look at me and tell that I am transgender that is not only OK—that is beautiful, because trans is beautiful. All of the things that make me uniquely and beautifully trans, my big hands, my big feet, my wide shoulders, my deep voice, all of these things are beautiful. I am not beautiful despite these things; I am beautiful because of them. So I’d like to encourage every single one of you in this room to join with me in showing the world that trans is beautiful.”

Anthony Cenname, WSJ., Publisher of the Year (Presenter: Amar’e Stoudemire)
“I would also like to thank Rupert Murdoch, who can’t be here tonight. His unwavering curiosity and commitment to the Wall Street Journal has allowed WSJ Magazine to grow beyond our wildest dreams. In my nearly 30 year career, I’ve never worked with a more engaged, focused, smart, and passionate team in the business and that’s both on the business side and the editorial side. It’s our product and our people that inspire me everyday. Every morning when I wake up before I read the newspaper, I actually pinch myself and say, ‘I have a great job. I work at the best place with the best people in the business. So thank you all, in this group, for being the best in the business. The magazine has soared to even greater heights as the world’s leading luxury magazine and thanks to Kristina O’Neill, who is sitting right here in front of me.  I’m delighted to accept this award tonight amongst all of you, because it’s an extremely talented group of people that make this industry a pleasure to work in, so thank you for all being our friends and our family.”

Taylor Hill, Social Media Model of the Year (Presenter: Lily Aldridge)
“I want to dedicate this award to all of my fans and followers, you’re support really means the world to me. As a model, having these kinds of platforms where I can show my personality and who I am is an amazing thing. I love being able to share what I do with the world. It’s so great to have a place where I can have a voice and connect with people. Thank you for all the support from all of these amazing people and all of the people in the industry. Of course, I’ll be posting from the event so everyone go and see it and like it!”

Goga Ashkenazi, Vionnet, Ad Campaign of the Year (Presenter: Anna Cleveland)
“I’m so overwhelmed by so many things, one of which is how honored I am to be in this room tonight. What a room full of so much talent, so much beauty, so much everything that fashion is today and has become. Thank you so much to The Daily for putting all of us in one room. My heart is about to jump out of my chest so please forgive me. I would like to thank first of all my Vionnet family, that includes Madame Vionnet of course, and all the ones who are working ever single day. It’s not just the Goga Ashkenazi or Vionnet award. It’s the Vionnet family award. We so much needed the encouragement. It’s a great honor and it comes at the best time possible. We much, much needed it and we’re doing much better with it. I would like to thank my great friend and collaborator, Dylan Don, he is the photographer of this campaign and he has been my best friend for awhile and I don’t think it would have been possible without you. I would also like to thank our creative director Babeth Djion, who is not here tonight. I would like to thank Anna. Anna Cleveland can move! I would like to thank all of my friends sitting here today supporting me. Without your support I would not be here, Vionnet would not be here. Thank you Stefano Tonchi, you were there from the beginning, and I thank my new friends as well.”

Stephen Gan, VMAN, Men’s Magazine of the year (Presenter: Alex Pettyfer)
“Alex Pettyfer, you embody all of the qualities and ideals that VMan should have, your VMan issue 22 cover shot by Mario Testino had the cover line ‘Hollywood’s Next Bad Boy’, which led to you being cast by Steven Soderbergh in Magic Mike as a male stripper. Did I just say bad boy and male stripper? The honest to god truth is you are a brilliant and talented actor, who has been carrying out his passions since he was 13. You are as much at home playing a hero as a bad boy.You’ve got the biggest heart and are genuinely kind and caring to all of those around you. And having gone with you to look for the suits that we’re wearing tonight, I know that you have innate personal style. VMan was made for and is about modern guys like you—guys who are smart, worldly, cultured, and artistic, who crave something cooler in men’s fashion and pop culture. In other words, VMan was made for guys like you and me, who may look like bad guys on the outside, but who are actually all good on the inside. Part hustler, part saint, but doing everything in style, now that’s what I consider a VMan. Thank you to all of our beloved collaborators. Mario Testino, who was there from the very beginning for V and VMan; Inez & Vinoodh, whose work never ceases to amaze me; thanks to Steven Klein, Bruce Weber, Nick Night, and Carine Roitfeld for sharing their gifts with me. I’d also like to thank Hedi Slimane for giving me the confidence to start a men’s magazine at a time when we felt like there was a change happening in menswear. Thank you to all of our supporters in the menswear community that made me feel like there was truth in that change.”

Robbie Myers, Elle, Magazine of the Year (Presenter: Anna Kendrick)
As Anna mentioned she made her Elle debut on an Elle bestseller for our first ever social media issue and she was great. We handed her the keys to our Twitter account for the day and it was great, because she worked really hard that day. She’s a hard worker. After changing Elle’s profile picture to a picture of her holding a sign that said, “ Anna Rules”, she posed questions like, “Elle follows 999 people? That’s just too much. Let’s make some cuts. I’m look at you Vogue magazine” and “Angelina Jolie was last month’s cover girl. Does that mean we have to fight to the death now? Is that how this works? Love, Anna” For our 30th anniversary September issue, we were thrilled to have Anna back for a portfolio of 30-year-olds who were changing the culture shot by Mark Seliger. And how perfect that she could be here tonight, a month to the day that she turned 30 herself so that we could celebrate the two best things born in 1985—Anna and Elle. Thank you to Brandusa and The Daily for this award. Brandusa you have built such an incredible brand in such a witty, fun, smart must-read. I’ve figured out your secret. When one of your very nice reporters like Eddie Roche sidles up to me at a fashion show and says, “I just have a few questions for The Daily” he has such light touch and is such a good reporter that when he walks away I think to myself, “I think I just told The Daily how much money I have in the bank and where I was when I first had sex.” I’m so happy to accept this award on behalf of our whole editorial staff. I have to thank Kevin O’Malley, who was so rightly honored here last year as publisher of the year. I want to thank Michael Clinton, who I used to meet all over town for clandestine drinks, way before Hearst was even looking at Elle and he would say, “You know, Hearst is a really nice place to work and it really cares about its editors.” Both of which are true. And I have to thank David Carey, who really does understand what motivates all of us here in the room. Finally, a congratulations to all of the honorees tonight.”

 

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