“It’s all about Wendy, it’s not about me, so you have to ask a lot of questions to her,” a smiling Heidi Klum told reporters while walking the carpet at Sunday’s Hollywood Beauty Awards with her hairstylist Wendy Iles. Along with a slew of other nominees, Iles had a chance to take home an award for outstanding work in the entertainment industry at the Avalon in Los Angeles.
But before the hopefuls could break out their acceptance speeches, there was Johnny Depp. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star had skipped the press line in favor of heading straight to the podium to acknowledge the first award of the evening, which went to Christian Dior executive Pamela Baxter for Fragrance of the Year.
“I was voted worst-dressed and best-dressed the same year in the same magazine,” he recalled. “They were curious as to why I looked like a vagabond, but when I met people, they said, ‘You do look like a hobo, but you smell really good.’ Now you know why,” he said, referring to Sauvage, the fragrance he fronts for Dior.
Although ever “thankful,” Baxter won’t call Dior home for too much longer, as she recently announced her retirement. “Oh no, the word is out,” she laughed earlier. “Let’s just say I’m not going to go to the beach. I might become an entrepreneur. Stay tuned.”
While tight-lipped on exact business plans, she hinted at promoting women, telling WWD, “I’ve been involved in women’s empowerment for quite some time and I’d like to have some more time to spend on that.
“I’ve been involved with an organization called WomenOne; Dayle Haddon started it, and she has been building schools in Africa. I sponsored a student for four years, and she graduated this past year, and we just pooled together $50,000 to build a new school in Senegal. I’m hoping to be able to go to Senegal when the first students arrive at the school and welcome them. It’s going to be a joy.”
The event, which supported Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, is only in its second year and there were a few gaffes, such as technical issues and slow-to-the-stage presenters, which led a playful Kelly Osbourne to dub it as “the most awkward” and “enjoyable” award show she’s been to.
However, no snafus could stop honorees Sterfon Demings, Kathryn Blondell, Mike Smithson, Laini Thompson, Norman Seeff, Jason B. Diamond, Clare Bowen, Chaley Rose, Sofia Reyes or their celebrity supporters Kelly Rowland, Angie Harmon, Jackeé Harry, Kym Whitley, Orlando Jones and Rebecca Gayheart from enjoying themselves over their three-course meal.
Before dedicating her Timeless Beauty Award to her mother Tippi Hedren, Melanie Griffith gushed of her presenter, “I’ve always had a crush on Jon Voight, so this is an excellent evening for me.” Through laughter, she went on to say, “When I was asked if I wanted to get this Timeless Beauty Award I didn’t know whether it was for sort of getting older and heading out, you know. It’s very nice, and I’m glad I might still have a little bit of time.”