When the conversation turned to her work with her husband François-Henri Pinault through the Kering Foundation, she summed up the motivation behind their efforts in one word: “Love. Really, it is love. I do it with my love. I found myself a partner who respects what I do. It’s wonderful to have a man that cares about women. We do it together.”
On the red carpet, Hayek Pinault offered another glimpse into the determination that has shaped her career. “They told me to go back to my country. ‘There’s no opportunities here. You’re a big star in Mexico, go back. Don’t be silly,’” she recalled to Vogue. “They meant well, by the way.”
But even back then, Hayek Pinault trusted her instincts and saw an audience that the American entertainment industry hadn’t yet figured out how to reach. “There are 42 million Latinos in this country, and [Hollywood] literally didn’t understand it. I knew it would happen. I just didn’t know it would happen in my time.”
Hayek Pinault was among several honorees recognized throughout the evening. The WIF Max Mara Face of the Future Award went to Arjona, who’s readying to appear in next year’s hotly anticipated The Thomas Crown Affair. The Puerto Rico-born emerging talent was also fêted the night before the WIF Honors by the fashion label at a chic cocktail reception at Chateau Marmont.
Pamela Abdy, former co-chair and co-CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, received the inaugural Vanguard Award, celebrating a career dedicated to moving the industry forward. Filmmaker Beth de Araújo and actress Gemma Chan shared the Crystal Award for Advocacy in Film for their work on Josephine, the psychological drama that made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival.
Waddingham, meanwhile, was presented with the Crystal Award for Advocacy in TV, recognizing the Emmy-winning Ted Lasso star’s commitment to creating more opportunities for women both in front of and behind the camera. And if anyone was expecting a subdued acceptance speech, Waddingham had another thing in mind. “Being in this room tonight is like the most concentrated, potent shot in the arm of every single podcast I would ever want to listen to in one hit,” she began, drawing laughs from the audience. “To even be here and share time and oxygen and a cheeky beverage or two with you all—I mean, it’s just f*cking great!”
But beneath the humor was a serious message. “I take the status, the platform, and the voice that I have been afforded incredibly seriously,” she said, reflecting on her commitment to speaking up for others, from the LGBTQ+ community to women fighting for better access in the industry. “As long as there is breath in my body, I will stand on that ladder with my incredibly high, fabulous heels. On the bottom rung, I will always give a hand to those who need it. I encourage you to do the same because the soul is so rewarding when advocating for others, and it is endless,” she concluded.
