The red carpet scene outside The Pool restaurant in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday night resembled a miniature version of the Oscars red carpet. The glitzy spectacle was the Kering Foundation’s Caring for Women Dinner, a relative newcomer to the gala circuit that has become one of the starriest nights of New York Fashion Week since it started four years ago.
A microcosm of Hollywood’s A-list materialized for the cocktail hour, with entrances from Demi Moore, Dakota Johnson, Jessica Chastain, Colman Domingo, Julianne Moore and Kirsten Dunst. Other attendees included Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, Diane von Furstenberg, Seth Meyers, Lenny Kravitz and Linda Evangelista.
The gala, which benefits organizations working to end gender-based violence against women and children, is hosted annually by Salma Hayek Pinault and her husband, François-Henri Pinault, the chairman and chief executive of Kering, the luxury juggernaut that owns Gucci, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent, among others.
Power tribes formed in the dining room, which was lushly decorated with trees and ferns, as the ceremony began. Mr. Bezos whispered into Ms. Sánchez’s ear. Adrien Brody canoodled with Georgina Chapman. Anna Wintour chit-chatted with Baz Luhrmann. The menu included a kale and sunchoke salad followed by a chicken verde with rosemary potatoes.
Against the backdrop of the abundantly star-studded evening, a few guests considered who they were star struck by.
“I’m always star-struck by Colman Domingo,” Chloe Malle, Vogue’s newly minted head of editorial content, said. “He’s unflappably gracious. He’s just a class act. I like being in his orbit.”
While she mingled with Mr. Meyers, Ms. von Furstenberg playfully offered: “When I met Seth, I was star-stuck. I seduced him. And I was very successful.”
And the model Winnie Harlow cited the night’s philanthropic hostess. “Salma, everything about her,” she said. “And she’s made us all come together tonight for an idea.”
Over $4.5 million was raised, and the evening culminated in a lively auction that featured artworks by Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons and an immersive visit to the Gucci Archive in Florence, Italy, among other lots. As lemon chiffon cake was served for dessert, FKA twigs performed a soulful set accompanied by a pianist, a bassist and a harpist.
In his speech, Mr. Pinault took a moment to stress that despite the evening’s ritzy atmosphere, they were gathered for a vital cause.
“By showing up, by giving, by speaking out,” Mr. Pinault said, “we help survivors move from danger to safety, from fear to freedom.”
Alex Vadukul is a features writer for the Styles section of The Times, specializing in stories about New York City.
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