IMAN

This has to be one of my fave events in New York, and the reason being – is first and foremost they celebrate women, and secondly they celebrate women of diverse backgrounds and walks of life. This year, at Carnegie Hall in New York, an extraordinary group of women from First Lady Michelle Obama, designer Stella McCartney, Maria Shriver, Amy Poehler, Serena Williams, US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, Dr. Maya Angelou and Rihanna, among others, were being celebrated. I was deeply honored to have been awarded in 2006 for my humanitarian effort for Keep a Child Alive, an organization that provides ARV drugs for children and families affected with AIDS in Africa.

To my surprise this year I received an email from Glamour magazine Editor in Chief Cindi Leive asking me to present an award to Rihanna. I say surprised because I had never met Rihanna and was even more surprised that Rihanna requested me. Of course, I know and admire this young beautiful girl for her music and fearless fashion.

When she cut her hair she really turned into a real star… a Grammy winner who sold millions of albums and has become the fashion darling of the fashion world. But, I and the entire nation, were mesmerized how graceful, fearless, articulate and emotional she was talking about her abuse with Dianne Sawyer: “The thing that men don’t realize is that when they hit a woman, it is the face, the broken arm, the black eye…. That’s going to heal. That’s not the problem…. it’s the scar inside.”

She is an individual who is using her voice with her Believe Foundation, a fund that provides educational and medical supplies to needy children. She was as sweet as she can be and told me that for her it was a no brainer when she asked for me, and even told me “I hope I grow up to be just like you!” awwww…. I forget she is only 21 years old.

She looked fierce as always with the tightest longest dress… cute and sexy at the same time – and loved my dress…. so, Jason Wu, you will be hearing from Rihanna very soon.

She brought her entire family from Barbados which was lovely to see… I see where she gets her beauty… her mom!

The event was amazing and I think Maya Angelou almost stole the entire show with 2 standing ovations! She is smart, sassy and a phenomenal woman at the tender age of 80!

Serena Williams looked strong and sexy at the same time… Susan Rice powerful and feminine, Amy Poehler hysterically funny but graceful, and Stella McCartney wore the shortest of dresses I have ever seen but with the most amazing legs…. if I had those legs I would walk around with the skimpiest of dresses as well but … alas, I don’t!

I wore a Jason Wu cute light as a feather of a dress…. it was actually feathers! Beautiful soft color and the most amazing emerald ring by Lorraine Schwartz! My makeup was flawless and I was glowing all courtesy of Sam Fine – girls, get your DVDs, The Basics of Beauty by Sam Fine, to master this glow and buy yourself IMAN Afterglow, the yummiest of bronzers! … at www.drugstore.com.

Iman, in a Jason Wu dress and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, with Rihanna at Glamour's 2009 Women of the Year Awards.