Fergie and Robert Duffy to be Honored at amfAR's Inspiration Gala in New York
Event to celebrate men’s style with a Black Tie/Olympic sports-themed runway show; Scissor Sisters to Perform
For Immediate Release
Media Contacts:
Bennah Serfaty, Senior Director, Communications, bennah.serfaty@amfar.org
Natalie Marquis, Media Relations Associate, natalie.marquis@amfar.org,
212-806-1694
New York, NY, June 1, 2012—amfAR will pay tribute to iconic
recording artist and eight-time Grammy winner Fergie and Marc Jacobs
International President Robert Duffy at the third annual New York Inspiration
Gala on June 7th at the New York Public Library. Fergie and Robert Duffy will each receive the
Piaget Award of Inspiration in recognition of their contributions to the fight
against AIDS. Academy Award-winning
actress Hilary Swank will present Mr. Duffy with his award. Longtime dedicated amfAR supporters Cheyenne
Jackson and Rose McGowan will co-host. The
event is being presented by Title Sponsor M•A•C Viva Glam, Award of Inspiration Sponsor Piaget, Fashion Sponsor
HUGO BOSS, Kohler Co., and B&B Italia. Cocktails will be provided courtesy
of GREY GOOSE® Cherry Noir. In-Kind Sponsors for the event are Mandarin
Oriental, New York, Jeff Leatham Design, and Coloredge New York + Los Angeles.
Produced by Josh Wood Productions, the event will include a
special set by the Scissor Sisters and a runway show of exclusive looks by the
world’s leading menswear designers. The designs will feature black tie takes on
athletic wear, inspired by the upcoming Olympic Games. Legendary Olympic
medalist and AIDS activist Greg Louganis will make a special appearance and
will walk in the fashion show.
Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Dsquared2 Men's, Giorgio
Armani, Givenchy, Hugo Boss, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kenneth Cole, Lanvin, Marc
Jacobs, Michael Kors, Piaget, Ralph Lauren, Rick Owens, Rodrigo Otazu, SWAROVSKI
CRYSTALLIZED™, Thom Browne, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, and Y-3 are
among the designers who have donated looks for the runway show.
Marc Jacobs will serve as the Honorary Chair of the evening
and Event Chairs include Larry Boland, amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, John Demsey,
Chairman of the M·A·C AIDS Fund, and Sean
Patterson.
The Inspiration Gala is part of a series of amfAR benefit
events that celebrate all aspects of men’s style. Previous events in the series
have taken place in New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and São Paulo, raising more
than $3 million for AIDS research.
About amfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading
nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention,
treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.
Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $366 million in its programs and has
awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.
About Josh Wood Productions
Josh Wood Productions is dedicated to creating provocative and socially
conscious events, concerts, festivals, theatrical productions, political
fundraisers, and nightlife. Recent projects include the creation of the amfAR
Inspiration Gala series in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles honoring Jean-Paul
Gaultier and the Ricky Martin Foundation; “America: Now & Here,” a national
touring exhibition of the greatest living artists in America including Paul
Simon, Cindy Sherman, and Julian Schnabel; and the Highline Festival curated by
David Bowie. Raising money for nonprofits as diverse as Oxfam, Downtown for
Democracy, Rock the Vote, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Royal Shakespeare
Company, among others, events have featured artists from Kylie Minogue to Lady
Gaga, David Bowie to Lou Reed, and Arcade Fire to Pink.
About M·A·C Cosmetics
M·A·C (Make-up Art Cosmetics), a leading brand of professional
cosmetics, was created in Toronto, Canada in 1984 and is part of The Estée
Lauder Companies, Inc. The company’s popularity has grown through a tradition
of word-of-mouth endorsement from makeup artists, models, photographers and
journalists around the world. M·A·C is now sold in 79 countries/territories
worldwide. Follow M·A·C on Twitter @MACcosmetics (twitter.com/maccosmetics),
become a M·A·C fan on Facebook (facebook.com/maccosmetics),
watch M·A·C videos on YouTube and find our M·A·C Senior Artists at macartiststweets.com.
For a M·A·C location visit maccosmetics.com.
Delta Air Lines is the official airline of amfAR.