• ALBUM Conclave of celebrities in Seville in the delivery of the XVII Showcase Awards

The appointment was at eight o'clock in the afternoon in the Patio de Banderas of Seville, in the Barrio de Santa Cruz. The wall of the Real Alcázar witnessed the arrival of the more than 400 guests who gathered at the XVII awards of the magazine Escaparate, created and directed by Mario Niebla del Toro, an event that every year brings together countless familiar faces from all sectors of society.

On this occasion, the godfather of honor was the French designer Christian Louboutin, the famous creator of the well-known shoes with the red sole, who arrived at the place walking accompanied by the Sevillian decorator Patricia Medina Abascal, niece of Naty Abascal, a passionate about tradition and great defender of craftsmanship.

The reception of the guests began with the usual passage through the photocall, in addition to an equestrian show by the rider Jaime de la Puerta and the music of the Banda del Carmen de Salteras, which even played some Easter march.

The long tables were installed in the center of the square, in addition to chairs adorned with balloons or rows of light bulbs and flags of Spain or floral centers on the tablecloths were some of the decorative attractions of the event. And the Real Alcázar of Seville and the Giralda, two of the images that flanked the space.

Gentlemen of tuxedos, and the ladies had to wear polka dots. An indication, that of moles, that not all followed, although most of them did.

Little by little, and after the endless greetings, the awards ceremony began, which had several very emotional moments. The first of them, when Isabel Jiménez and her nephew Alejandro, sister and son of the great María Jiménez, respectively, took the stage. Alejandro said in his speech that "for me it is very hard; It's only been ten days... I don't want my emotions to come out... She is here with us, and I want to thank Sevilla for how she gave herself at my mother's funeral and for the warmth and affection the family felt that day."

Former soccer player Juan Carlos Unzué collected a check for the Luzon Foundation, dedicated to research and improving the living conditions of ALS patients and their families. Unzué recalled that it is a disease that today has no treatment or cure, and said he did not want to forget "my four thousand companions of illness in Spain; Before we have a dignified death, we want to have the possibility of having a dignified life. Today in our country this is impossible, because the Commonwealth Law is still blocked and the lack of aid continues its way."

Juan Carlos Unzué receives a check from Victorio and Lucchino.ANA GARCÍA ROMERO

He also asked "that we do not allow any other person, wanting to live, to be forced to die for the lack of such aid. Keep enjoying life, as you taught me in the years I lived in this magnificent city with my wife, Maria, and our three children."

The third was the goalkeeper of Paris Saint-Germain, Sergio Rico, who attended with his wife, Alba Silva, and his sister-in-law Macarena, just the day after his last medical examination in which, although he has not yet received the definitive discharge, he did have good news about the evolution of the brain aneurysm he suffers as a result of his accident in El Rocío last May.

There were many more winners during the long night that lasted the act, conducted by Michi Primo de Rivera Oriol. Among them, the Real Madrid player Emilio Butragueño, although he was seen and not seen. He collected his prize before the start of the event and left because, apparently, he had to travel and could not stay.

Together with all of them, they went through the stage to collect their respective Ainhoa Arteta awards; Fernando Martínez de Irujo Marquis of San Vicente del Barco, representing his older brother, the Duke of Alba; Alejandro Amenábar; the singer India Martínez -she attended with her boyfriend, Ismael Vázquez-; the model Malena Costa -she went with her boyfriend, the footballer Mario Suárez-; Verónica Fernández de Córdova marquise de la Puente y de Sotomayor (Bodegas Marqués de Riscal); actors Manuel Bandera and María Barranco; the bullfighter Juan Ortega; journalists Jesús Álvarez and Pepe Navarro -with contribution to the Isabel Gemio Foundation- and Eduardo Inda; Father Angel -with donation for Messengers of Peace-; the cantaora Esperanza Fernández, and representatives of CocaCola, the Torre de Los Remedios Business Center and Gilmar, also awarded.

Some awards that have been designed by the Jerez artist Cristóbal Donaire 'Balcris', who on this occasion has been inspired by the Spanish horse.

Along with all of them were the mayor of Seville, José Luis Sanz, with his wife, Laura Díaz Cuesta, as well as his predecessor in office, Antonio Muñoz, with her husband, the writer Fernando Repiso.

Performances

There were many more familiar faces besides the winners, including Princess Beatrix of Orleans; Cayetano Martínez de Irujo Duke of Arjona with his girlfriend, Bárbara Mirjan; Princess Louise of Orléans and Bragança; businesswoman Paloma Segrelles; designers Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada (with her partner, José Manuel Díaz-Patón), Victorio and Lucchino; Palomo Spain, Nicolás Montenegro, Vivas Carrión, Javier García or Fernando Claro, among others; Fiona Ferrer; Belinda Washington; actress Antonia San Juan; Arantxa del Sol; Carmen Lomana, to whom Hubertus of Hohenlohe dedicated a song she performed on stage; María del Monte and Inmaculada Casal; Esther Doña; Gloria Camila Ortega Mohedano; Marina Castaño; Stephanie Luyk; Lucia Hoyos; Raquel Revuelta (with her partner, Luis García Bahamonde, president of Abbott Laboratories Spain); the interior designer Tomás Alía; Remedios Cervantes; Antonio Canales...

In addition, the stage was followed by the performances of Miguel Caiceo, who returned to give life to Doña Paca; the Domus Carmina choir; pianist Joaquín Pareja-Obregón; Joana Jimenez; Juan Habichuela; Davinia Jaén, Juani Mora, José Luis Pérez-Vera or Nano de Jerez and Esperanza Fernández herself, ending the evening with the music of Dj Carmen Hierbabuena.

Dinner, served by La Campana, included Iberian pringá brioche with payoyo cheese cream, oxtail ingot with risoladas potatoes and La Campana vanilla torrijas with bitter orange and bacon de cielo, with wines from Bodegas Marqués de Cáceres, Finca La Capilla, Manzanilla Solear and Excellens Verdejo.

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