The 15th anniversary LACMA Art + Film Gala took place in Los Angeles this year, honoring Latvian artist Vija Celmins and filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. According to a first-person account from Vogue-style coverage on the evening, the event was sponsored by Gucci and co-chaired by Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio. It raises funds for the museum’s programming while celebrating artists and filmmakers.
Red carpet beneath Urban Light
The writer arrived early, before the usual crush, and described a notably calm carpet with little shouting from the crowd. The backdrop was Chris Burden’s Urban Light, the installation of more than 200 restored cast-iron antique street lamps. Anya Taylor-Joy arrived in an archival Pierre Cardin sculptural gown and jacket, paired with a Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Stars and Moons necklace.
Fashion in the room
Gucci dominated the guest list. Jennifer Tilly wore Gucci with a Jean Schlumberger Hedges and Flowers necklace for Tiffany & Co. and matching 1960s earrings, and said the dress had been adjusted from five sizes too large the evening before. Kathy Hilton wore vintage Gucci with an Edwardian-looking bow at the collar. Salma Hayek Pinault wore a red sequin Gucci gown, and Kim Kardashian wore a Bordeaux sparkling gown. Gucci creative director Demna, François-Henri Pinault and Viola Davis were also at the neighboring tables.
Elsewhere, Julia Garner wore Loewe with sculptural gold earrings, and Iris Law wore a pearlescent tiled dress by Amaramara, lined in leather. Nicole Kidman presented in a Chanel runway gown. Victoria’s Secret Angels Elsa Hosk, Candice Swanepoel and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley attended in Gucci.
Speeches and honorees
The museum’s director introduced Eva Chow, who announced this would be her final year helping to organize the gala. A short film then profiled Celmins, who is based in New York and spoke about her fascination with the California coastline, the ocean and the moon. She joked that she had taken nothing from attending UCLA.
Kidman introduced Villeneuve, noting she has never appeared in one of his films. A montage covered Prisoners, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Incendies and Dune. Villeneuve spoke about the importance of art in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, and recalled how James Turrell’s work at LACMA inspired Arrival. “Some artists use a paintbrush, I use a film crew,” he said.
After dinner
Guests also included Ed Ruscha, Al Pacino, Parker Posey, Alex Israel, Jonas Wood, Lauren Halsey, Jordan Firstman, Timothée Chalamet and Alex Consani. Paris Hilton introduced Rosé, who performed outdoors, where servers handed out cotton candy, meringues and caramel corn. Rumors circulated of an after-party at Eva Chow’s house.
Source: vogue.com
Image: Gunnar Klack / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)