The pressure was on for Us Weekly‘s 25 Most Stylish New Yorkers of 2012 to live up to their titles during a party in their honor at STK September 12.
As honorees including White Collar actress Tiffani Thiessen, 38, New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, 30, and supermodel Coco Rocha, 24, posed on the white carpet, Smash star Megan Hilty — also an honoree — couldn’t believe the company she was in.
“I saw the list of people and I was like, ‘Really? I’m on this list, too?'” the 31-year-old actress, wearing head-to-toe Alice + Olivia, said. “It’s fantastic.”
“It’s really special to be here, and honestly, just to see everyone else. It’s such a wide array of people represented tonight,” Daphne Oz, co-host of ABC’s The Chew and a fellow honoree, told Us. “They’re really very stylish in very different ways, so I’m just having fun and getting some good clues for what I’m going to wear next fall.”
Eleven-time Olympic medalist and honoree Ryan Lochte, 28, was also celebrated at the event. “I grew up in upstate New York, so me and my family, we’d always come into the city,” the swimmer said. “It’s definitely a great honor being back here, especially for Fashion Week, knowing that I want to become an up-and-coming designer.”
“I went for the more edgy look tonight with some bling of my own,” Lochte added. “I’m here to just celebrate and have a good time.”
Lochte wasn’t the only blinged-out attendee: 50 Cent, 37, arrived wearing a dazzling diamond necklace. “I borrow things from other stylish people,” the hip-hop mogul, also an honoree, told Us. “You don’t run out and get the same thing, but it kind of influences what you do next.”
E! Fashion Police co-host Joan Rivers, 79, turned heads in a Ralph Lauren coat, Joan Rivers for QVC pants and Stuart Weitzman heels. “My style has evolved,” the longtime New Yorker told Us. “I no longer have to wear a bulletproof vest. . . and nowadays, the more you look like a bag lady, the more you look like you’re in style. We have the Olsen twins who have changed that, so it’s great.”
TODAY co-host Hoda Kotb, 48, couldn’t believe she was one of the 25 honorees. “When I was told, I was certain that they’d dialed the wrong number,” she said with a laugh. “If you were to ask anyone from my past if this day would have come, they would have said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ So I feel really, really lucky.”
Good Morning America news anchor Josh Elliott, meanwhile, put a lot of effort into his red carpet look. “I shouldn’t admit this, but I thought more about an outfit tonight than I’ve thought about an outfit in years,” the journalist and honoree, 41, said. “It’s great, though. It’s a great night to be a part of.”
As it happened, Boardwalk Empire actor Vincent Piazza found himself in a similar situation. “Typically I don’t think about what I’m wearing, which makes it flattering,” Ashlee Simpson‘s boyfriend told Us. “The irony is tonight I have to think about it, so now all of a sudden I was stressed out.”
The party — sponsored by Caress, Crystal Light, GLO Jeans, Maybelline and Midori — also brought out several famous faces from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, The Real Housewives of Miami, Bachelor Pad and the New York Knicks.
“It’s been really fun, being here and being part of Fashion Week and here with Us Weekly,” Real Housewives of New York City star LuAnn de Lesseps, 47, said.
To see what the stars wore — and to get a glimpse inside the A-list soiree — watch the video above now!
