Exactly one lunar cycle after setting the internet ablaze with his daring Stuart Weitzman campaign, Mark Consuelos returned to the spotlight like a comet streaking across a velvet sky. The 2025 ACE Awards, held at New York’s Pierre Hotel, became the stage where the actor—now practically synonymous with luxury footwear—handed the Brand Collaboration Award to the very label he’s turned into a viral sensation.
With the timing of a seasoned stand-up, Consuelos deadpanned, “After years of covert financial contributions to this brand, courtesy of my wife’s shopping prowess, I decided to make it official.” The crowd erupted as he tipped his hat to Kelly Ripa’s legendary shoe addiction. “Her closet is a shrine to Stuart Weitzman. If the queen approves, who am I to argue?”
The evening unfolded like a masterclass in audacity. Betsey Johnson, crowned with the Iconoclast Award, strutted onto the stage like a firework in human form. “Chappell Roan has been my mental espresso shot this year,” she declared, as waiters circulated with baguette-shaped bag charms—served like warm bread at a Parisian bistro.
Bethann Hardison’s Hall of Fame induction was a masterstroke of authenticity. “I gotta use the bathroom,” she laughed mid-speech, before dropping wisdom like confetti: “Fear and bravery are dance partners. I just let them tango.” The room swayed between laughter and applause.
As the night dissolved into a haze of chocolate soufflés stamped with “ACE,” guests were handed Sam Edelman goodie bags—each a Russian nesting doll of delights: Betsey Johnson’s perfume (spicy as her personality), weighted eye blankets (for when glamour exhausts you), and lab-grown diamonds (because even ethics can sparkle).
