ANTIBES, France – Some of French Rivera’s biggest stars for the Cannes Film Festival made appearances at amfAR’s 30th annual gala to raise money for AIDS research.
Demi Moore, whose film “The Substance” caused a sensation at Cannes, hosted this year’s gala, a role launched by Elizabeth Taylor in 1993.
The red carpet at the exclusive Hôtel du Cap, Eden Roc, was packed with models, actors, singers and fashion designers, as well as plenty of festival movers and shakers, who paid thousands of euros for a table at the city’s hottest event.
Michelle Yeoh, Heidi Klum, Kelly Rowland, Andie MacDowell, Diane Kruger, Colman Domingo, Michelle Rodriguez, Winnie Harlow, Robin Thicke, Diplo, Paris Jackson, Petra Nemcova, Karolina Kurkova, Natasha Poly and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, all participated in fundraising.
Rowland addressed her Cannes controversy earlier in the week when she appeared to have a run-in with security on the red carpet.
“The woman knows what happened. I know what happened. And I have a limit, and I maintain those limits, and that’s it. And there were other women who showed up on that carpet who didn’t look like me and weren’t reprimanded or pushed or told to leave,” Rowland told the Associated Press. “And I stood my ground and she felt like she had to stand hers, but I stood my ground and that was it.”
As always, the night started with champagne and cocktails under the stars. The hotel’s wide walkway was transformed into a carpet of red glitter all the way to the ocean, although this year the glitzy superyachts weren’t blocking the horizon.
Guests sipped champagne, margaritas, palomas and vodka martinis and posed for lots of selfies and photos at the black-tie benefit.
Many of the auction’s artworks and sculptures were on display there, including an iconic lithograph of Taylor hand-signed by Andy Warhol, which later fetched 350,000 euros ($378,289).
A specially commissioned hand-drawn image of the Queen with Swarovski crystals in an aluminum frame by royal artist Chris Levine fetched €475,000 ($513,392) for the charity. Sarah Ferguson took to the podium to help auction this lot with a plea to customers: “this was my mother-in-law” and “stop being so bored, stop looking at your phone”.
Guests were served a starter of truffled zucchini flower with mushroom cream to the live soundtrack of Jess Glynne’s opening performance, followed by beef brulee with potato emulsion and a strawberry and elderflower dessert while auctioneers they made bids.
Midway through dinner, guests stopped and stood to line the temporary catwalk between tables for the annual fashion show curated by Carine Roitfeld and auctioned to the highest bidder. This year’s collection, titled “Fairy Tales” included 26 looks from Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Vivienne Westwood and Prada, to name a few. After the models gathered on stage to help the auctioneer raise bids, the collection finally reached 500,000 euros ($540,412).
As part of the experiences on offer, a walk through the 5th series of “Emily in Paris”, as well as an invitation to the premiere of the 4th season in Los Angeles, was for 250,000 euros (US$270,262).
Nick Jonas brought brother Joe on stage for a medley that had the room dancing and then Cher closed the show with a tribute to Taylor and a high-octane performance of “Believe” complete with gyrating dancers. The afterparty continued at the hotel pool with Diplo on the deck and more drinks as guests danced outdoors until the early hours.
AmfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, is dedicated to supporting AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education and advocacy, raising nearly $900 million in support of its programs since 1985.
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