Celebrities and Feted Designers Kick Off SCAD Style Month With Annual Awards Gala

Celebrities and Feted Designers Kick Off SCAD Style Month With Annual Awards Gala

NEW YORK, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- SCAD Style kicked off on March 23 with the Savannah College of Art and Design's annual SCAD Style Etoile Awards gala, recognizing the world's foremost design and style luminaries. Held at the James Cohan Gallery in New York City, the event honored hip hop mogul and designer Russell Simmons, Tony Award-winning Broadway costume designer William Ivey Long, Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion editor Robin Givhan, actress and philanthropist Cornelia Guest, and New York City Planning Director Amanda Burden.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/CL88497-a)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/CL88497-b)

"All of our honorees are so multifaceted, just like our SCAD students," observed SCAD President Paula S. Wallace, who presented each of the honorees with the distinguished award. "They are all living proof that you draw inspiration from all around, and bring everything together to create something completely fresh."

Honoree Russell Simmons, an avid supporter of the arts, noted: "We live in a society that undervalues artistic expression. That's one of the reasons SCAD is so valuable. I'm thrilled to support an institution so committed to the future of style and design."

Guests in attendance included designers Cynthia Rowley, Lars Nilsson, Yigal Azrouel, and Ruffian's Claude Morais and Brian Wolk, actor Dean Winters, writer/producer Tom Fontana, Trading Spaces designer Hildi Santo-Tomas, entertainment mogul Michael Mauldin and his wife, Hip Hop 4 Humanity's Judy Mauldin, Kim and James Garfunkel, model Julie Henderson, Ann Slater, Maria Cooper Janis, David Mortimer, and investment manager Paul Beirne.

SCAD Style continues through May 16, with renowned artists, designers and industry professionals participating in a series of style- and design-focused events at SCAD's Atlanta and Savannah campuses. For a complete schedule, visit www.scadstyle.com.

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

With more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design university in the United States, the Savannah College of Art and Design is uniquely qualified to prepare talented students for professional, creative careers. SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution that offers a choice of degree programs in 42 different majors, plus 52 minors. Students can pursue their degrees at campuses in Savannah and Atlanta, Ga., in Lacoste, France, and online through SCAD-eLearning. The career preparation of each student is nurtured and cultivated by nearly 500 full-time professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience.

Named one of "America's Best Colleges" and one of "America's Best Graduate Schools" by U.S. News and World Report, and one of the nation's "Most Interesting Schools" by Kaplan-Newsweek, SCAD confers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts and Master of Urban Design degrees. For more information, visit scad.edu.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/CL88497-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/CL88497-b
Source: Savannah College of Art and Design

CONTACT: Sunny Nelson of Savannah College of Art and Design,
+1-912-713-4275, snelson@scad.edu; Bobby Zarem of Zarem, Inc.,
+1-212-397-2611, zarem130@aol.com; or Shahrzad Nadizadeh of Ketchum,
+1-404-879-9234, shahrzad.nadizadeh@ketchum.com

Web Site: http://www.scad.edu/
http://www.scadstyle.com/

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