The step and repeat was a colorful sight. Turner-Smith wore a bazooka bra-ed, bright orange jumpsuit with a swirling cobalt blue cloak fresh from the Jean Paul Gaultier spring 2026 runway. “If I’m introducing the queen, then I must dress in homage to the queen,” Turner-Smith said, referencing Grace Jones. “I am so excited!” Then Sabrina Elba appeared in a slinky black gown, so Turner-Smith broke off mid-sentence to squeal and exchange air kisses. Michael Fassbender made a quick moment for the photographers, sunglasses kept firmly on, while Julia Fox appeared like a vision, and posed in a bulbous, bridal white dress by Marc Jacobs, her makeup like a marionette doll.
From there, 300 guests filtered into the next grand, low-lit room and enjoyed a cocktail reception with champagne and dirty martinis on rotation, and dinky canapés of squid arancini, artichoke bites, and tartlets.
“The truth is we’ve had amfAR supporters based in London asking us to bring an amfAR gala here for many years, but why now?” Kyle Clifford, the incoming amfAR CEO, told Vogue. “As amfAR begins to expand the focus of the research we’re funding, looking into solutions for other diseases, viruses, and conditions, in addition to HIV, now is the perfect time to expand our outreach as well. amfAR is seeking global solutions to global problems, and we want to make sure we’re speaking with people from all over the world. Collaboration is the key to success.”
Photo: Getty Images