The Art+Film gala—which raised $6.4 million tonight, a record—is a critical part of the fundraising effort to realize that vision. And as opposed to the more Old Hollywood dressing direction that most guests took for the Academy Museum Gala last month, LACMA’s night encouraged a more modern approach to glamour. Brat green was alive and well (see: Kaia Gerber, Gabriella Kaefa-Johnson) as were white suits for men. The gala was again underwritten by Gucci and roughly half of the notable looks were from Gucci’s creative director and gala committee chair Sabato De Sarno. Among the Gucci gang were Kim Kardashian (with a purple stone cross once belonging to Princess Diana), Cara Delevingne, Andrew Garfield, Colman Domingo, Vittoria Ceretti, and Laura Dern—as well as both of the evening’s honorees.
Simone Leigh, the seminal sculptor whose first survey exhibition is on at LACMA until January 20, was introduced on stage by philanthropist Bryan Stevenson, who recounted traveling to Venice for the first time in his life to see her 2022 Biennale exhibition. No overnight success, Leigh looked out at the room and remarked that, “This moment reminds me when my daughter came home from school and told me that her friends thought I was cool.”
Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, in a blue velvet suit that harkened back to Gucci’s ’90s era, was introduced by his great friend and decades-long collaborator Anna Wintour. She recounted their world travels and feted his extraordinary creativity (and perfectionism) with candor, mentioning a time that Baz was still finishing edits on a film as they drove together to the premiere of that very film. “Baz can’t let go of his work,” Wintour said, “and if you made work like that, why would you?” When Baz took the stage, he dedicated the honor to his wife and creative partner, Catherine Martin, whom he met in King’s Cross at the ages of 25 and 20, respectively, over a 7-hour conversation about the state of art. “Whether it’s fashion or music or painting or theater…There are no silos,” Luhrmann said. “All creative people are trying to do is…reach out and touch people.”
Charli XCX was billed as the solo musical guest for the evening, but her own creative collaborator Troye Sivan hopped on stage for what is likely to be their last duet performance of “Talk talk” for some time. Despite the LA chill, Sweat was still palpable.
