Donna Karan, Dionne Warwick, Rosanna Arquette receive honors at Cinémoi’s CineFashion Film Awards

Television network Cinémoi’s 4th annual CineFashion Film Awards, which honors fashion-oriented films created by innovative filmmakers, actors, musicians and designers, was taped before an audience on Sunday at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.

Proceeds from the event benefit Cinémoi founder Daphna Ziman’s L.A.-based nonprofit group, Children Uniting Nations, which is focused on mentoring at-risk and foster youth. A series of Icon Awards was also presented to recognize the careers of inspiring individuals.

The awards show and a red-carpet arrivals special will air Oct. 29 on Cinémoi.

The event

The awards show, co-hosted by Adrienne Bailon of Fox talk show “The Real,” and entertainment news commentator AJ Gibson, kicked off with a tribute to the Ziegfeld Follies, complete with modern-day chorus girls in feathered costumes, led by actor Obba Babatundé. Later in the night, models walked onto the stage for a presentation of evening dresses by L.A.-based fashion designer Adolfo Sanchez, who took home the emerging designer award.

Actress Maria Bello handed Donna Karan the designer icon award and Rosanna Arquette received the CineSpotlight Award for web series episode “:DRYVRS: Bob’s Direction Home.”

Karan and Arquette used the event as a platform for larger issues.

“It’s not about dressing; it’s about addressing and a place called Las Vegas,” Karan said. “It’s very hard to stand here tonight talking about fashion. If we do not stop gun violence, we don’t know who’s going to be hit next: your father, your son, your aunt. Enough is enough.”

Karan also made headlines this week for her red-carpet comments at the awards show, which appeared to support fired movie producer Harvey Weinstein. (However, on Monday, Karan issued a statement apologizing for her comments and said she has spent her “life championing for women.”)

On Sunday, Arquette mentioned the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation’s partnership with UCS’s Violence Intervention Program to create a clinic in honor of her late transgender sister to support LGBT youth. (Arquette was one of several women interviewed for a just-released New Yorker investigation by Ronan Farrow about alleged assaults or harassment by Weinstein.)

The crowd

In the audience were musicians Akon and Malik Yusef as well as actresses Tara Reid, Carmen Electra and Rose Acosta. The show did not go off without hitches. Melanie Griffith, who walked the red carpet, ducked out as a presenter due to pain after unceremoniously breaking her toe.

The showstopper

Legendary musician Stevie Wonder performed Dionne Warwick’s tune “You Won’t Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)” — mentioning it is his favorite — with actress Beverly Todd swaying along beside him. The duo presented Warwick, the 76-year-old, five-time Grammy winner, with the timeless icon award.

“Dionne has always been a humanitarian. She’d give you her heart and she has,” Wonder said. “I remember listening to the radio in Detroit on a Monday; my mother promised to go to the store and get me some cookies and, while she was gone, [that song] came on. I was thinking, my mother will not get to heaven if she don’t get me those cookies.”

Accepting the award, Warwick said: “The way I look at is that music has been and will always be the healing force, words that we are able to give to you, the melodies that linger with you for years and years are very important. Music heals souls. It heals minds. It heals bodies. If we keep music in front of us, I think the world will change.”

The quote

“In Hollywood, we practice, we study, we do everything we can to get that part, not realizing that life itself is an audition, and God is watching,” said musician Akon, presenting the peace icon award to Forest Whitaker, who wasn’t in attendance. “It’s about how we treat each other, how we speak to each other, how we respect each other, how we don’t judge each other, and how we look at each other from the standpoint of understanding that that person’s equal to me.”