LACMA Art+Film Gala marks new Gucci designer Demna’s Hollywood red carpet debut, 20 years of Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future Awards, Van Cleef & Arpels’ World Series win, Marilyn Minter’s return to L.A. and more.
Demna’s Gucci Hollywood Red Carpet Debut
Saturday’s LACMA Art+Film Gala was a Hollywood coming-out of sorts for lead sponsor Gucci’s new artistic director, Demna, who dressed 40 guests. The designer made his own statement on the red carpet, standing out from the mostly traditional black-tie crowd in tinted glasses, an oversized leather jacket and pants pooling over square-toed Gucci loafers.
This gala came up quickly for Gucci. Demna had just debuted his first collection, “La Famiglia,” in Milan in late September, accompanied by a star-studded, 33-minute film titled “The Tiger” that featured many of the collection’s looks, all of which were named after archetypes.
Demi Moore starred in the brand film, which apparently cost five times as much as producing a runway show. She was center stage again at the gala, where the verdict on the designer’s evening wear was mixed. For women there was … sparkle, a lot of it, a conventional choice. While many of the men, including Charlie Hunnam, looked more casual, cool and directional, fashion-wise, like Demna himself.
Gucci dressed a slightly smaller number of people than usual, and it was a challenge with only one Demna collection so far. Many styles were custom made or adapted from those first collection looks.
For his part, Demna, who grew up in Soviet Georgia and now lives between Milan and L.A., is perhaps best known for making oversized streetwear high fashion, first at his own label, Vetements. At Balenciaga, where he served as creative director for a decade, he also created striking, sculptural couture. He counted many celebrities among his muses, most notably Kim Kardashian, who did not attend this year’s LACMA gala.
Moore was the best-dressed Gucci guest in a spectacular Gucci Flora sequin-embroidered gown that harkened back to one of her costumes in “The Tiger.”
Best dressed Gucci duo? Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber, obviously. They managed to steal the spotlight under Chris Burden’s iconic “Urban Light” installation of street lamps. I liked the texture of Crawford’s dress, as well as Tessa Thompson’s silver foiled lace and Angela Bassett’s electric chartreuse fringe.
Of the non Gucci-garbed guests, Kerry Washington looked smart in Thom Browne’s Fall 2025 pleated, tailored and twisted gown, while Cynthia Erivo was eye candy in Schiaparelli, working her dress for photographers like only a diva of the stage and screen can do.
The 2025 Art+Film gala honored “Sinners” filmmaker Ryan Coogler and artist Mary Corse, and raised a record $6.5 million for the museum.
Van Cleef & Arpels’ World Series Win
Saturday night also belonged to the L.A. Dodgers, of course, who won their second consecutive World Series title in a gripping Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The fashion angle here was Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas hitting a clutch home run in the ninth inning, while wearing his lucky charm: Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra four-leaf clover necklace.
While NBA basketball stars wear plenty of jewelry during tunnel walks, league rules prohibit them from wearing it on the court. Same thing for pro soccer, the most watched sport in the world. But Major League Baseball permits players to wear jewelry as long as it’s not distracting, with some team exceptions.
Rojas has been wearing the necklace all season, in several colors, giving major screen time — and a new face — to the French fine jewelry brand beloved by grande dames like Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales and many more.
Four-leaf clovers first appeared in Van Cleef creations as early as 1906, alongside other symbols of good luck. In 1968, the maison created the first Alhambra long necklace, with 20 clover-shaped motifs in gold.
The one worn by Rojas on Saturday has 10 clovers in blue agate and gold. The Alhambra collection has since expanded into other styles, including earrings, which he also has worn.
While other MLB players have also embraced the Alhambra collection on the field this season, none have been as prominent as Rojas. Following luxury fashion’s ongoing obsession with sports and its stars, it would seem like a prime marketing opportunity for the Richemont-owned brand. When I reached out, they had no comment.
Max Mara x Women In Film, Ahead of Their Time
Now 20 years old, the Women in Film Max Mara Face of the Future Award was celebrating Hollywood, fashion and female empowerment long before such initiatives became part of every luxury brand playbook.
Created in partnership with the nonprofit advocacy organization Women in Film, the honor recognizes an actress whose career, style and social impact signal her as a rising force — not only on screen, but in the broader cultural conversation.
For Max Mara, being part of the annual Women In Film Awards has always been about more than red-carpet glamour, though that was on display at Wednesday night’s cocktail party celebrating this year’s honoree, Maude Apatow. It has embodied the Italian brand’s decades-long dialogue with professional women.
Known for impeccable tailoring and classic outerwear that was quiet luxury before it was called that, Max Mara’s design POV is substance over spectacle — a philosophy mirrored in the award’s recipients over the years, including Emily Blunt, Zoey Deutch, Elizabeth Debicki and Gemma Chan.
“For us, it was Women In Film being a platform with an interesting purpose that was already visionary in promoting women’s talents, and not just actresses, but also writers and directors,” Max Mara brand ambassador Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti said of the origins of the partnership. “Women’s empowerment, not just giving them a beautiful look but also a voice, is such an important part of the DNA of our brand. Of course, the way women dress has changed — to dress professionally 20 years ago was more rigorous, where today demonstrating power is more relaxed, comfortable or feminine. That’s a victory.”
Max Mara’s Face of the Future Award has become a bellwether for Hollywood talent on the brink of a breakout. But in many ways, Apatow, who was dressed for the cocktail soirée in a playful Max Mara pink tulle skirt and black crop top, is already there. She started acting in father Judd Apatow’s films when she was a child, before landing standout roles in “The King of Staten Island” alongside Pete Davidson, Netflix’s “Hollywood” and HBO’s “Euphoria.”
Her family came out to toast her at the Chateau Marmont ahead of Thursday night’s awards ceremony, along with Sarah Paulson, Kate Hudson, Naomi Watts, Maria Bello and many more. “Maria Giulia is such a powerhouse,” Apatow said. “And I’m so honored to be spoken about in the same sentence as the other honorees. I’m overwhelmed, like … is this really happening?”
Apatow has also had success behind the camera. She made her feature directorial debut this year with the college-set comedy “Poetic License,” starring her mother, Leslie Mann. And she has three projects in development with her new production company, Jewelbox Pictures.
Founded in 1973, Women in Film supports women in all creative roles, from directors and writers to cinematographers and producers, through career programs, networking and advocacy for systemic change and better representation. The 2025 Women in Film (WIF) honorees include Jamie Lee Curtis, Tessa Thompson, Regina King, Kristen Wiig and Apatow, and the awards will be presented Thursday.
Marilyn Minter Returns to L.A.
Fresh off the debut of her documentary film, “Pretty Dirty: The Life and Times of Marilyn Minter” at the Hamptons International Film Festival last month, the artist is returning to Regen Projects with her fourth solo exhibition opening Thursday.
The lush exploration of beauty, power and art history’s entrenched hierarchies features large-scale portraits, “Odalisque” and “After Guston” series works, and her signature close-ups of mouths.
Minter’s enamel-on-metal portraits, perfected over decades, give subjects Nick Cave, Jane Fonda, Cindy Sherman and Jeff Koons a cinematic gleam that is both celebratory and irreverent.
In her “Odalisque” series, Minter reclaims the art history trope of the reclining nude as passive object. “Lizzo Odalisque” reframes the subject as self-possessed and self-aware — the singer, in heels and lingerie, wields her iPhone as both mirror and weapon of control.
The “After Guston” paintings shift the conversation inward, with Minter speaking directly to her artistic forebears. Bringing artist Philip Guston’s cigarette, hood and lightbulb motifs into her own work, she links his mid-century political commentary to contemporary MAGA-era iconography. Polished but pointed, glamorous but gritty, Minter’s work reminds us that beauty cannot exist without scrutiny.
There’s an opening reception Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the exhibition runs until Dec. 20.
A Stroke of Magic for the Eyes
Minter uses makeup as a central theme in her work, with hyperreal close-ups of colorful, shimmery eyes and lips.
Launching Thursday from cult French girl brand Violette_FR, the Lune Liner achieves a similarly glamorous effect.
The liquid multichrome eyeliner is formulated with color-shifting pigments, designed to evoke lightning bolts, glowing metals and ultraviolet rays on the lids, and last up to 16 hours. It comes in four shades, $34 each, and has an ultra-fine applicator that makes it almost impossible to miss the lash line.
The brand was founded in 2021 by award-winning French makeup artist, Violette Serrat, who has also perfected a very Minter-like red lip with her Petal Bouche Matte Lipstick. While pregnant with her daughter, she dreamed of her as a golden moon—announcing that her name would be Lune. That vision became the starting point for the new product, a stroke of magic for the eyes.
Forwarded this newsletter?
Subscribe here to get WrapStyle directly every week!
Have a news story for our readers? Please email booth.moore@thewrap.com
Interested in partnership opportunities? Please email Alex.vonBargen@thewrap.com