Rihanna will join amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, in paying tribute to Tom Ford at its LA Inspiration Gala on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.
Ford, the American fashion designer and director of the Oscar-nominated film “A Single Man,” will be presented with amfAR’s Award of Inspiration, by the multi-Grammy Award winning artist, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to menswear design, as well as his profound commitment to combating the AIDS crisis.
Rihanna, who is making this special appearance at the event in honor of Mr. Ford, has sold 52 million albums and 195 million digital tracks worldwide, making her the top-selling digital artist of all time. She has released seven albums in seven years, achieved 13 number-one singles and won 7 Grammy Awards. With over 5.5 billion views and 19 Vevo certified videos, she is the most viewed artist on Vevo/YouTube and is one of the biggest artists on Facebook with over 90 million friends. In addition, she has successfully launched five fragrances, two capsule collections with Armani, as well as four River Island Collections, and she is currently the spokesperson for MAC Viva Glam.
“Tom has inspired so many aspects of my art over the years, not to mention his clothes give me a real bad attitude! His commitment to the cause and commitment to amfAR is truly admirable,” said Rihanna.
One of the most celebrated designers working today, Tom Ford has received every major fashion industry accolade, including being named both Womenswear and Menswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA, as well as the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Ford has been a longtime supporter of amfAR and an outspoken advocate on behalf of people living with AIDS. He joins previous Award of Inspiration honorees including Goldie Hawn, Aileen Getty, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Huvane, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Ricky Martin, James Franco, Francisco Costa, Mario Testino, Robert Duffy/Marc Jacobs International, and Fergie.
As previously announced, Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow will host the black-tie benefit, to be held at Milk Studios, benefitting amfAR’s life-saving AIDS research programs. amfAR Global Fundraising Chairman Sharon Stone will be joined at the gala by Event Chairs Bryan Lourd, Aileen Getty, and amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole. Co-chairs include Matt Bomer, Courteney Cox, John Demsey, Michael Patrick King, Daphne Guinness, Simon Halls, Tom Hanks, Tim Hanlon, Alan Poul, Vincent Roberti, Rich Ross, JR Savet, Amber Valletta, and Rita Wilson. The event will be sponsored by M•A•C Viva Glam and Wells Fargo Bank.
The Inspiration Gala Los Angeles, produced by Josh Wood Productions, is part of a series of amfAR events celebrating all aspects of men’s style. Other events in the Inspiration series have taken place in Paris, New York, Miami, Toronto, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. To date, the Inspiration series has raised more than $15 million for amfAR.
