Kiefer and Denzel Go for Simple Style

By Stephen M. Silverman And Omoronke Idowu Reeves

Thursday October 17, 2002 01:00 PM EDT

Despite rainy New York weather, the stars still turned out in droves for the 2002 GQ Men of the Year Awards Wednesday, PEOPLE reports.

Honorees and observers who walked the red carpet of the Manhattan Center included Denzel Washington, Hugh Grant, Ralph Lauren, Lenny Kravitz, Naomi Campbell, Chris Isaak, Samuel L. Jackson and Meryl Streep.

Kiefer Sutherland, 36, named GQ Man of the Year for a TV Drama (for his Fox show "24"), admitted to PEOPLE his secret style weapon: "I try to keep it very simple, simple is best. And then I just hope for the best."

MTV's "TRL" host Carson Daly, 29, was on hand to introduce singer Chris Isaak at the ceremony. And although these were the GQ Awards and Daly looked sharp in a black Hugo Boss suit, he also admitted that he, like Sutherland, doesn't devote much time to preparing how he looks, even for a style-conscious award shows.

"I got ready in 12 minutes," he acknowledged. (By the way, he showed up stag.)

Meanwhile, his ex-fiancee, "American Pie" actress Tara Reid, rushed by Daly to get inside the ceremony as Daly spoke on the red carpet to PEOPLE. (She, too, was dateless.)

Daly said nothing about his ex, but he did talk up another arrival.

"Look! There's Denzel Washington," marveled Daly. "Holy crap! Isn't he good looking? Wow!"

But Washington, 47, the Drama Film Actor award recipient, also claimed to be "just a humble man trying to be good. I don't worry about style," he said.

The GQ awards will air on NBC December 14.