The day before the Golden Globes is always a busy one in Los Angeles. Yesterday was no exception. Bill Clinton, Salma Hayek, and Reese Witherspoon joined Sean Penn at the Montage Beverly Hills for his fourth annual Help Haiti Home Gala; together they raised $6 million. Nearby at the Four Seasons, BAFTA held a Tea Party for the likes of Marion Cotillard, Ethan Hawke, and Cara Delevingne. And over at Art of Elysium’s eighth annual Heaven Gala at the Santa Monica Airport, Marina Abramovic teamed up with Costume National to curate an evening of collaborative art pieces.
“I hope people really appreciate this, because Los Angeles is about the entertainment industry,” Abramovic told Style.com. “There are so many ways of entertaining, [but] I am proposing in my way as an artist the possibility of entertaining that’s never been used before.” Escaping the rain, Johnny Depp, Joaquin Phoenix, Anna Kendrick, and Jena Malone, among others, donned Costume National silk robes and headed into Abramovic’s “heaven,” an experiential space in the round comprised of beds from which to view the performances. “Usually these parties are always boring, always the same,” Abramovic said. “[I had] this idea to try to come at it from a different way, [with everyone] dressed in pajamas or in beds, so that everyone is equal.” After a live stage performance, the audience saw a short 3-D film by Abramovic; Evolution (Megaplex), a video installation by Marco Brambilla; and an exclusive preview of Costume National’s Pre-Fall lineup. “To bring my collection here to L.A. in this situation and to deal with this project in this way was so stimulating,” CN creative director Ennio Capasa said. “Marina’s one of the great masters and icons.”
Later, Art of Elysium founder Jennifer Howell presented the Spirit of Elysium Award to Amber Heard for her work bringing creativity and inspiration to critically ill children. “When I first moved to L.A., I was looking for something to wash my hands of the effects of Hollywood,” Heard said in her acceptance speech. “It wasn’t long before I was standing in a hospital, cross-eyed, with clown shoes on and bunny ears.” Moby was the night’s surprise musical performer.
—Alexis Brunswick, Style.com
