Yves Behar, Narciso Rodriguez Among USA Network’s ‘Character Approved’ Honorees

Kehinde Wiley, Angela Brooks, Yves Behar, and Narciso Rodriguez are among the ten “rare characters” that USA Network is honoring with Character Approved Awards.

Don’t be surprised if you spot Yves Behar during the commercial break of Law and Order: Criminal Intent or spy a colorblocked sheath designed by Narciso Rodriguez between episodes of White Collar. The designers are among the ten honorees of USA Network’s 2010 Character Approved Awards, and they’ll be featured in vignettes directed by Henry Alex Rubin (Murderball) that debut later this month on USA. The other honorees are Kehinde Wiley (art), Angela Brooks of Pugh + Scarpa Architects (architecture), Green Day (music), Blue Hill restauranteur Dan Barber (food), screenwriter and playwright Nora Ephron (writing), director Kathryn Bigelow (film/TV), Kiva.org co-founder Jessica Jackley (giving), and the team behind Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy (new media/technology). Now in its second year, the Character Approved Awards initiative is dedicated “to celebrating the true trailblazers across a variety of disciplines.” That celebrating will officially kick off on February 25, when USA and Vanity Fair host a cocktail reception in New York City at the Gehry Glacier (also known as the IAC Building). Green Day will perform, and if we know this crew, many a collaborative project will be hatched, along with some of Barber’s farm-fresh eggs.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting this Thursday, February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Michael Brito (Edelman Digital), and Tim Devane (bitly). Register now.