Rodeo Drive hosted the elite of the design world on October 22 to honor the 2010 recipients of the “Walk of Style†Award, Cartier and Princess Grace of Monaco. The outdoor gala showed Beverly Hills at its best, with trendsetting guests attired to turn Rodeo Drive into a living “Walk of Style†and inspiring speakers commending the design world to follow the honorees’ achievements in combining style and substance.
The Director of the UCLA Copley Center for the Study of Costume Design, Dr. Deborah Landis, praised the latest “Walk of Style†legend, Princess Grace of Monaco for “personifying the rare combination of style and substance.†Landis set the tone for the event by presenting Princess Grace as a style icon wh
o cared deeply about the world and a beauty who showed that character comes first.
Accepting the award on behalf of Princess Grace was her son, Prince Albert II of Monaco. The Prince built a bond with the audience from the Creative Capital of the World by sharing his memories that “at heart, my mother was an artist.†He inspired the design world with the many qualities that have made Princess Grace a legend, her elegance, her passion for the arts and her dedication to improving the lives of others. He then shared his insights on the role the Princess Grace Foundation is playing to honor her legacy.
The Princess Grace Foundation awards scholarships for talented emerging artist
s to advance their talents with study and studio practice programs. Prince Albert II explained how he has also been inspired by his mother’s example of nurturing worthy causes and is pioneering the efforts of the Prince Albert II Foundation to care for better preservation of the world environment.
Actress Demi Moore personified Cartier’s special achievements in applying design talent to make women look more glamorous with her own engagement ring and a rapturous recollection of timeless Cartier designs preserved in legendary Hollywood cinema. Cartier executive Pierre Rainero accepted the award on behalf of the jewelry designer, the first ever selected for the prestigious “Walk of Style†award. The presentation chronicled Cartier’s evolution from a trendsetting entrepreneurial launch in 1847 to the design trendsetter of the jewelry universe. Speaker tributes showed how Cartier’s artistic interpretation of historic designs from the early art and sculpture of ancient Egypt up to the present has combined with excellent craftsmanship to achieve the highest standards in the world of style.
Beverly Hills leaders joined the cast of the special event to reinforce Rodeo Drive’s position at the leading edge of the design and fashion worlds. The perfectly orchestrated awards ceremony was hosted by Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne together with Tom Blumenthal, President of the Rodeo Drive Committee. They were joined by actress Debra Messing and leaders of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, Toby Boshak and John B. Kelly III. The leaders also paid tribute to sculptor Robert Graham, whose stature “Torso†has become the world famous symbol of the “Walk of Style.â€
The tour de force of design and philanthropy expertise combined to help achieve the vision of the first “Walk of Style†honoree, Giorgio Armani. Armani said that Rodeo Drive would become recognized as the most important street for fashion and design worldwide. The “Walk of Style” has made his vision a reality.
