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Yesterday, WWD and Variety teamed up to honor the creative forces in Hollywood fashion, beauty, and style for its inaugural "StyleMakers" awards. Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz (they invited us to the party), the event took place at Smashbox's stunningly renovated studio in Culver City and was jam-packed with star power, including the celebrity adored, refreshingly opinionated Zac Posen.
During a stage Q&A after receiving his StyleMakers award from a shy Katie Holmes (yes, she was there and she was perfect), Posen reminisced on his humble beginnings and first big break. Apparently, his life changed forever after Natalie Portman wore this dress from his debut collection on the Star Wars red carpet back in 2002, and he only scored the opportunity because his buddy happened to be friends with her. "The next morning, we were on the cover of every New York magazine," he added. "Things quickly started to happen after that."
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The adorable Posen, who actually needs his own reality show ASAP (his new stint on Project Runway isn't enough screen time for us), also went on to describe the scene at his very first LA trunk show, which took place at legendary Sunset Plaza boutique Tracey Ross. (The celebrity-frequented shop sadly shuttered in 2009.) "That was the first time I saw Juicy Couture," he revealed with a chuckle. "They were selling those T-shirts and I was thinking, 'Um, good luck with that!'"
While the audience definitely enjoyed the Juicy jab, no one can deny that the velour tracksuit purveyors went on to build quite an empire.
See above for most fun moments from the show, include a major A-list selfie moment.