Pictured: Inman at the Rodeo Walk of Style, (photo:Alex J. Berliner/ABImages)
Last night Iman (pictured above) and the Missoni family received plaques on Rodeo Drive (literally embedded in the street) to honor their contributions to fashion and entertainment from the City of Beverly Hills. In good humor, the graceful Inman invited all the attendees of the ceremony to "walk all over me, shop and be fabulous." And we all know that this is precisely what will happen on the shopping Mecca of Rodeo Drive, where walking and shopping go hand in hand.
In a small ceremony held outdoors on Rodeo Drive, Iman received the Walk of Style award from Rachel Zoe. In a move that surprised many attendees, she wore a long mocha Rachel Zoe dress with a bow tie blouse and sequined jacket, rather than Missoni. With her typical dedication to raising funds to help children in Africa, Iman used her acceptance speech to mention the devastation and hardships people are still suffering in East Africa. She stated that people in her homeland are faced daily with a "Sophie's Choice" that no one should have to make. The former model encouraged the audience to donate to "Save the Children" to help raise funds and awareness for the famine and drought that is ravaging East Africa, and in particular, her homeland of Somalia. I had the opportunity to meet and chat briefly with Iman in the Missoni store before the ceremony. She was warm, genuine and completely accessible. She told me that she plans to continue to work with HSN on her fashion and accessories line. As Rachel Zoe said before presenting the award to Iman, "She's kinda everything" a business mogul, a fashion icon and a philanthropist.
Following the presentation of the award to Iman, Quincy Jones took the stage to present the award to the Missoni family. A self-described "Missoni junkie," Mr. Jones lauded the family for their designs characterized by a "kaleidoscope of bold hues, zigzags, stripes, waves, flames, geometric patchworks and floral jacquards." The family turned out in force to accept the award, with founder Rosita in attendance along with children Vittorio, Luca and Angela. Also in attendance was the lovely Margherita Missoni, who Angela acknowledged, "maybe be the most well known member of the family" since the Missoni for Target campaign and Vogue spread featuring her. Angela Missoni thanked the entertainment community for embracing the style of Missoni over the years. She noted that through their designs, the brand had presented "the idea that fashion can be informal." She noted that many clients like Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn and Faye Dunaway had found that Missoni fashions suited them both for the red carpet and in their personal life.