If you happened to be following the glamorous events taking place amidst Cannes Film Festival this month, you may have heard about some of the VIP galas designed to raise money for a variety of brilliant causes.
Events of this nature are nothing new at Cannes. As many of the film industry’s hottest movers and shakers descend on the French Riviera all at once, there’s a perfect opportunity to raise some life-changing money for those less fortunate, with a variety of wonderful charities supported throughout the events calendar.
However, with the famous film festival having been cancelled, like many other world-famous events in 2020, expectations for parties surrounding the festival were higher than ever before.
One charity event which took those expectations and exceeded them by miles was the Riviera Dinner, a glamorous affair organised in aid of The Naked Heart Foundation. The dinner was supported by some particularly high-end sponsors, with luxury Italian fashion house BVLGARI and Moet Hennessy amongst its supporters. It’s clear that this was the perfect team to bring together some of Cannes’ most wanted for an evening of fine dining and fundraising on the French Riviera.
We imagine it took only a glance at an invitation for the event to get attendees excited. The dinner was being held at the beautiful La Guerite, a cliffside eatery offering an extensive menu of lovingly-created mediterranean cuisine, served up to enjoy alongside some of the French Riviera’s most breath-taking views. Even getting to the restaurant allowed the guests to experience some serious luxury – those lucky enough to attend each had to travel to the venue by boat. We certainly wouldn’t mind.
Once inside, there was a sparkling champagne reception as the guests mingled ahead of the evening’s itinerary getting underway, with sponsors Moet Hennessy providing the aperitifs. Amongst those in attendance at the event were model Nieves Alvarez, who certainly caught the attention of guests in a semi-transparent dress by Giorgio Armani Prive, teamed with accessories by sponsor BVLGARI. Spotted chatting to Nieves throughout the evening was fellow model Jon Kortajarena, who was dressed fresh as he opted for a beige suit and white shirt. Also treading the boards on their way into the event were Mexican actor Alejandro Speitzer, model Anna Cleveland, Solange Smith and BVLGARI CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.
Guests acquainted and seated, dinner and cocktails were served, with those in attendance enjoying some of the finest dishes from La Guerite’s award-winning menu. Hosts Alisa Volskaya and Anna Andres took to the stage to present the auction, which saw a line-up of luxury items and experiences offered up to the event’s prominent guest list. Amongst the offerings were a four-day stay for two in one of Bali’s most beautiful resorts, as well as an incredible BVLGARI necklace – exceptionally crafted in white gold and pave diamonds, the necklace alone fetched an impressive 58,000 euros.
The auction raised much-needed funds for The Naked Heart Foundation cause. Founded in 2004 by Russian model Natalia Vodianova, the charity aimed to raise money to help children with special needs across her home country. Following plenty of successful fundraising efforts, the French branch of the charity was introduced, allowing for events such as the Riviera Dinner to do the very same for special needs children across France.
As the metaphorical hammer went down on the last luxury auction item and the plates were cleared across the venue, it was time for a little entertainment. Guests were then delighted by the talents of actor and singer Darren Criss, best known for his role in iconic teen musical drama Glee, who laid on a spectacular show for the Riviera Dinner’s guests.
Overall, it was a wonderful evening for all in attendance – and one which will likely do plenty of good for some very deserving children.