The annual benefit, sponsored by Gucci, drew stars in shimmering looks by its new creative director, Demna
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography Courtesy of BFA and GETTY IMAGES
Under the shadow of its nearly completed 110,000-square-foot Peter Zumthor–designed building, LACMA held its annual Art + Film Gala inside a tented pavilion and cocktail lounge steps from Chris Burden’s Urban Light sculpture on Saturday, November 1. The evening, presented by Gucci, included the debut of slim sequin-laden looks from the house’s new mononymous artistic director, Demna. C Magazine cover star Cindy Crawford wore gold, while her daughter and date for the evening, Kaia Gerber, selected a red gown. Both were clad in shoes from the designer’s glamorous La Famiglia collection. Angela Bassett, Elle Fanning, Vittoria Ceretti, Asia Chow, Paloma Elsesser, Laura Harrier, Salma Hayek Pinault, Demi Moore, Iris Law, Tessa Thompson, Alex Consani, and a host of other guests also donned his designs.
Cochaired by LACMA trustee Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio, the evening raised nearly $6.5 million funding exhibitions, acquisitions, screenings, and annual programming. Honorees included Berkeley-born artist Mary Corse, known for charting her own way through work in dialogue with the Light and Space movement, and Oakland-born filmmaker Ryan Coogler, whose oeuvre includes Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, and Sinners, making him one of the current era’s most captivating filmmakers. Artist James Turrell was on hand to pay tribute to Corse and to introduce Alysa Nahmias’ short film about her, Mary Corse: Let Everything In. Bassett did the honors for Coogler. “His stories are so rich,” she said. “They help us see not only ourselves but others.”
After a dinner menu devised by David Shim of COTE, the New York Korean steakhouse, Cynthia Erivo led guests outside. SZA introduced Doja Cat, who performed at the star-studded event that brought together cultural figures from the worlds of film and fashion, including Beck, Jon M. Chu, Quinta Brunson, Vittoria Ceretti, Kerry Washington, Zoey Deutch, Ava DuVernay, Joel Edgerton, Kathryn Hahn, Dustin Hoffman, Damson Idris, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Queen Latifah, Lee Byung-hun, Miky Lee, Ashley Park, Lorde, George Lucas, Edward Norton, and Finneas O’Connell. Artists including Catherine Opie, who shot the portraits for Demna’s initial Gucci collection, were on hand among the guests at the annual benefit, joining Judy Baca, Jonas Wood, Lauren Halsey, Mark Bradford, Charles Gaines, Paul Pfeiffer, Kenny Scharf, Tavares Strachan, and the inimitable Betye Saar.
November 18, 2025
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