Michelle Yeoh wins Kering Award; Alexis Stone as Jean Paul Gaultier in Campaign

WINNING STRING: The awards roll in for Michelle Yeoh. Fresh off of an awards season that saw her scoop an Oscar and Golden Globe, among other awards, the Malaysian-born actress has been named the winner of Kering's 2023 Women In Motion Award.

The ceremony will take place during the French luxury group's annual dinner in honor of women in cinema at the Festival de Cannes Festival, which runs from May 16 to 27.

Yeoh became the first Asian to win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and has used the platform of various awards ceremonies to deliver speeches on issues such as diversity, racism and ageism.

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"Through her iconic roles, Michelle Yeoh has managed to break all stereotypes", François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, said in a statement.

"With the Cannes Film Festival, we wanted to recognize his significant contribution to cinema, and his ability to inspiring future generations of talent. Giving her the Women In Motion Award was an obvious choice,” he added.

Yeoh said she was "very moved" to receive the Women in Motion award.

“I am convinced that times are changing; public awareness has certainly increased in recent years. It is vital that women - in front of and behind the camera - continue to play roles and tell stories that reflect the diversity and complexity of the world," she said.

Previous winners of the award, launched in 2015, include Viola Davis, Salma Hayek, Gong Li, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and Jane Fonda.

Best known for her roles in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crazy Rich Asians," Yeoh is enjoying a career resurgence that showcases her skills as both an actress and an action movie heroine.

Among his upcoming projects is the film adaptation of the musical "Wicked", "Avatar 3 and the Disney+ series 'American Born Chinese,' set to premiere May 24.

"We are thrilled to honor Michelle Yeoh, an actress who is passionately dedicated to her films and who has marked the industry in many ways and whom we had the great pleasure of welcoming to the Cannes Film Festival jury in 2002,” said Thierry Frémaux, Director of the Cannes Film Festival.

"Throughout her career, she has relentlessly explored new possibilities, to the point that it has become his trademark. for a wide international audience. The awards she receives are simply the inevitable culmination of this exceptional journey,” he said. — JOELLE DIDERICH

DOUBLE TAKE: If you think Jean Paul Gaultier popped up on a Paris street holding a baguette in the latest brand's ready-to-wear campaign, watch again.