There were sequins, superyachts, and one very persistent baseball cap as the 31st annual amfAR Gala took over the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc on Thursday night following the Cannes Film Festival. With Ciara switching hairstyles mid-evening, Leonardo DiCaprio in his trademark off-duty headgear, and couture gowns hitting the runway alongside million-euro auction items, the night proved once again why this is Cannes’s most frenzied party.
Ciara arrived on the red carpet sporting a sculptural bob, then later took the stage with flowing blonde waves to open the musical performances. She was followed by Adam Lambert, who delivered a trio of Queen covers, and headliners Duran Duran, returning to the amfAR stage for the first time since 2013. Their surprise final auction lot—a guitar played on stage by John Taylor and signed by the band—capped off the musical portion of the night.
Taraji P. Henson presided as host in an asymmetrical white Gaurav Gupta gown with cutouts and a thigh-high slit. Throughout the evening, she kept the crowd focused as the live auction—led by Simon de Pury—unfolded. Among the bidders were Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman, James Franco, Spike Lee (in his signature Jacques Marie Mage glasses), and Colman Domingo, who arrived in a custom Valentino look complete with lace socks, ballet flats, and a feathered Boucheron ear cuff. Though the evening largely focused on celebration and fundraising, a few guests stirred conversation—including Kevin Spacey, whose presence at the gala did not go unnoticed.
Auction highlights included a George Condo painting that sold for €1.15 million, a walk-on role in Spike Lee’s next film that went for €400,000, and a set of Chopard earrings—offered by Karolina Kurkova—with more than 36 carats of yellow and white diamonds. Additional lots included artwork from James Franco and Julian Lennon, as well as Adrien Brody’s collage portrait of Marilyn Monroe.
Carine Roitfeld’s James Bond–themed fashion show transformed the hotel grounds into a cinematic spectacle. Models emerged through a glowing white circle onto a raised runway, wearing looks from Alaïa, Balenciaga, Dior, Saint Laurent, Jacquemus, Prada, and more. Teri Hatcher, a Bond girl herself in Tomorrow Never Dies, strutted the catwalk in a black gown, while Coco Rocha posed theatrically in a sculptural red look by It-Spain.
Lauren Sánchez sparkled in a sequined silver-and-blue Roberto Cavalli corset gown as she cozied up to fiancé Jeff Bezos inside the tent. Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio was seen—once again—eschewing a bow tie in favor of his ever-present black baseball cap, which has become his unlikely red carpet signature.
The gala concluded with an official after-party just steps away from the dinner tent at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, where guests danced well into the night—no boats, no shuttles, and, reportedly, no drama. Meanwhile, another unrelated party elsewhere in Antibes was said to be plagued by long lines and confusion at the door, leading to some misdirected frustration that evening. Still, the gala itself delivered on all fronts: fashion, star power, and more than €450,000 raised from the fashion show alone.
Presented by Chopard, and supported by Air France La Première and Kodiak Pictures, the amfAR Gala Cannes remains the most glamorous intersection of Hollywood and high purpose on the Riviera.
#Bezos #PDA #Leo #Baseball #Cap #Moments #amfAR #Gala #Cannes
