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ACE Awards Honors Nicolas Ghesquiere, Stella McCartney, Jimmy Choo

The influencers and tastemakers in the world of accessories came together in New York for the 12th annual ACE Awards on Monday, Nov. 3, to toast designers and brands including Nicolas Ghesquiére for Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Cate Adair of "Desperate Housewives" and Banana Republic.

Hosted by The Accessories Council, the aim of the organization is simple: Promote sales of accessories to consumers, which is precisely what each of the honorees received accolades for doing.

"Designer of the Year" Nicolas Ghesquiére, whose critically acclaimed collections are consistently praised as among the most innovative in fashion today and whose accessories for Balenciaga, including the "Motorcycle" bag, have been top-sellers for years, said he had been very lucky with Balenciaga.

"The house is so inspiring," he said. "It's my home base and my starting point." Ghesquiére credited his life and the people around him for giving him inspiration, and indicated he was ready to tackle the new challenges of a changing global economy. "It makes me question everything, and I think it's time to go back to the essential things," he said. "But it can be a time to experiment and go further with things. We have to think about clothes that may evolve through the weeks, the months, the seasons and also the years."

Actress Chloe Sevigny, who has been frequently is photographed in Balenciaga over the years, accompanied Ghesquiére to the awards and effusively praised the designer, who she counts among her good friends.

"I love him as a person, I've known him a long time," said Sevigny. "He's just a magical little guy. I've done a lot of events with different designers, but he's someone I've always maintained a friendship with. He's my favorite - his is always the first show I look at online." Last year Sevigny launched her own fashion collection with downtown New York boutique Opening Ceremony, and said she will launch a menswear line with them next fall.

Cate Adair, costume designer for "Desperate Housewives," took home the honors for "Influencer of the Year," said what keeps her going is "an excellent cast, a wonderful story line and the opportunity to create a world that is both familiar and contemporary, but with a twist." What makes her approach to the show so successful is that it is the same one that real women have in their own wardrobes - a mix of high, low and vintage. "Especially with the economy the way it is, we're going to be doing more and more of that," said Adair. "Maybe we can't go out and buy a new coat, but we can go out and buy accessories."

"Innovator of the Year" Lorraine Schwartz, known for her over-the-top jewelry for stars like Beyoncé (she designed the infamous engagement ring), exuberantly discussed her latest designs - colorful stones like jade or rubies used in the place of the gold (stones set into stone) and a lot of rock crystal for her take on 1920s styles. "People want bold, beautiful things that can make them feel happy and empowered," she said. Plus, she added, the attitude of her clients "seems to be 'Well, I might as well have something in my pocket.'"

Simon Kneen, Creative Director of Banana Republic accepted the "Retailer of the Year" award for the company, which has such an extensive array of accessories that Kneen was hard pressed to think of something he'd like to design for the company that hasn't already been done. "Crash helmets!" he decided.

Model Coco Rocha, wearing towering platform wedges by Stella McCartney, who received the "Green Designer of the Year Award," said she hadn't noticed how high her shoes were. "I guess they're a model's flip-flops, aren't they?" Her professional tip for managing the current craze for extreme high heels? "Be confident and try not to be nervous."

Victoria's Secret Model Selita Ebanks likewise showed footwear confidence, showing off her Gianfranco Ferré metallic platform shoes with a jewel-encrusted heel. "The more elaborate shoe, the better," she said. "Nothing in fashion scares me." She said she owns over 200 pairs of shoes, and only about 10 of those pairs are flats.

Other award recipients this year included Tamara Mellon for Jimmy Choo, named "Brand of the Year," Sally Singer for the "Marylou Luther Award for Fashion Journalism," and Emilio Pucci for the "Hall of Fame" award.

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