Inside FGI’s Night of the Stars Gala—Where Kanye and Kim Kardashian West Honored Rick Owens 

“What I love about tonight, which is so amazing and so blessed, is how people [are talking] about the combination of partners,” shared Kanye West, 21-time Grammy award winner and proponent of brutalist design. Last night, he and his partner, Mrs. Kardashian West, stepped out (on the eve of Kanye’s rumored album drop) to honor another creative couple: Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy. Receiving the Superstar Award—the highest of honors for the evening—for his immaculate draping and sumptuous minimalism, Owens was one of nine industry innovators who were honored at the Fashion Group International’s 36th annual Night of the Stars gala.

On Thursday evening Cipriani Wall Street welcomed fashion’s finest to celebrate talent amongst the style, beauty, sustainability, interior design, and humanitarianism spaces. VIPs including Laverne Cox, Grace Coddington, and Iman swirled through the red carpet, donning their best evening frocks.

The seated dinner was complete with pinwheeled short ribs, classic Cipriani mixed vegetables, and a decadent coffee crème meringue cake for dessert—and guests were encouraged to make donations of all sizes to the FGI as they dined. The evening’s program focused on the history of FGI and commemorated those individuals the fashion world has lost in the past year. Maryanne Grisz, current FGI president, remembered visionaries from Karl Lagerfeld to Margaret Hayes, the former President and CEO of FGI. “She was the leader of this organization for 25 years and made this event what it is today,” Grisz shared. “We’re very excited to carry on her legacy.”

Recipients of the awards included Gucci Westman for her advancements in the natural and healthy cosmetics through her eponymous brand; Brandon Maxwell, receiving the Fashion Star award (justly earned after designing Gaga’s show-stopping, four-part camp look at the Met Gala); and Donna Karan, receiving the Humanitarian Award for her astounding contributions to the world of philanthropy, most notably in the health and wellness space.

FGI was originally founded in 1930 by 13 women, including Helena Rubinstein, Elizabeth Arden, and Eleanor Roosevelt, to further the advancement of other women in fashion and adjacent industries. The organization has expanded, nurturing male and emerging talents from the ground-up. Each year, the organization draws a luminous guest list to the Night of the Stars, dolling out awards which recognize efforts across all tiers of the fashion industry.

“People with a seat at the table tonight, physically and metaphorically—I ask you to look around you and identify who you will pull up a chair for,” implored Maxwell of the industry leaders in the room. “Beginning as an optimistic intern, access to the room is limited. Beyond that first monumental step, which can change the trajectory of [someone’s] life, as it did mine, access into the organization can be near-impossible. Be the person that opens that door.”