FLARE Was There: 12 Looks From the amfAR Gala

I tend not to get star struck, having attended a myriad of celeb-studded affairs over the years, but at last night’s amfAR gala honouring Tom Ford in Los Angeles, which raised millions of dollars for AIDS research, I was literally gobsmacked by the level of talent in the room. I may have been rubbing elbows with Dita Von Teese, who was seated directly behind me, but most of the evening I was rubbernecking the two tables to my left, where Rihanna, Tom Ford and Justin Timberlake were holding court with Miley Cyrus and her mom Tish. (Miley is M.A.C’s newest face and collaborator on Viva Glam, a lipstick line where 100 percent of the proceeds go to men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS)
 
The event, hosted by a somewhat tipsy Ms. GOOP herself, opened up with a surprise performance by Chris Martin, who Gwyneth affectionately introduced as the “father of the year,” and closed with a set by legendary Motown singer Diana Ross, who got everyone out of their seats with rousing performances of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “I’m Coming Out.”
 
Best dressed of the evening was a toss-up between Rihanna and Miley, both kitted out in cleavage-revealing gowns by their BFF Ford. Best quip of the night goes to Gwyneth: after Miley out-bid Rihanna and Ford on a Ryan McGinley print—which she ended up paying $300,000 for!— GP joked she clearly wasn’t making enough money these days. The night’s most controversial guest was undoutedly Matthew Paetz, former FLARE cover girl Lea Michele’s current beau, who if you believe the gossip rags, used to be an escort!  —Cameron Williamson, editor-in-chief