Scene & Heard: ‘Glamour’s Most Glamorous’ at Louis Vuitton
At the Louis Vuitton dinner to celebrate “Glamour’s Most Glamorous,” it seemed as if there were as many definitions for the word “glamour” as there were guests.
FOR THE RECORD:
Scene & Heard: In Sunday’s Image section, a caption with the Scene & Heard column identified a man as Louis Vuitton’s Daniel Lalonde. The man is Bill Wackermann, senior vice president and publishing director of Glamour magazine. —
“Glamour used to be something you put together in a very Hollywood way,” said Cindi Leive, the magazine’s editor in chief, speaking at the Beverly Hills Louis Vuitton boutique. “Now we see it as a sense of style and confidence, of having that indefinable quality that makes people want to turn around and look at you.”
Amanda Seyfried and Zoe Saldana were among those who topped the list in April’s “50 most glam women of 2010” issue.
Seyfried said she didn’t think of herself as glamorous in the classic sense, giving her definition as “being authentic.” Saldana said she felt “great and grateful” for the accolade.
Daniel Lalonde, president and chief executive of Louis Vuitton North America, welcomed guests on a rooftop terrace, where rose-entwined garlands hung from beams and thick bouquets of roses lined candlelit tables. Among others in attendance at the March 4 event were tennis great Serena Williams, actors Anna Kendrick, Rashida Jones, Emma Roberts and Max Minghella, and Russell Simmons, Jennifer Meyer, Laura Dunn and Leslie Siebert.
Before dinner ended, Corinne Bailey Rae sang and Lalonde announced a donation to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.
‘Essence Black Women in Hollywood’ luncheon
Jada Pinkett Smith told the audience at the “Essence Black Women in Hollywood” luncheon that she “had to be here,” explaining that she had come to honor her friend Queen Latifah. Then fighting back tears, she added: “My father died last week and I’m flying tomorrow to bury him.”
Latifah ascended the stage to comfort her and, towering over Pinkett Smith, she removed her shoes, providing a moment’s laughter. “This is what I’m talking about,” Pinkett Smith said. “I don’t get to see her a lot, but she’s my girl.”
One emotion-filled speech followed another at the March 4 luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which celebrated Essence magazine’s 40th anniversary and honored Gabourey Sidibe, Zoe Saldana, Cicely Tyson, Mary J. Blige and Latifah. In addition to Pinkett Smith, directors Lee Daniels and James Cameron, and actors Laurence Fishburne, Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson bestowed awards.
Common recited a poem and Mary, Mary sang contemporary gospel, while those at the podium, more often than not, ignored teleprompters to instead speak from the heart. Sidibe called the illustrious guests her heroes, “who weren’t real to me until just very recently.” Blige talked of her life struggles and expressed gratitude to Essence for “keeping me in the light.”
In addition, the afternoon featured a surprise salute to Essence cover editor Mikki Taylor.
During the cocktail hour, Essence editor in chief Angela Burt-Murray called the event “a way to pay tribute to African American women in Hollywood and give them a special moment.” She said Essence chose the honorees according to their contributions the previous year. Tyson’s “legend” award came for her lifelong career.
Tyson said that growing up, she used to see magazine ads of people in minks with the headline, “What makes a legend most?” She said, “I didn’t get the mink, but now I’m a legend.”
ellen.olivier@society-news.com
