Selena Gomez hosts the inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit: A Night of Radiance and Reflection at Nya Studios in West Hollywood.Photo: Olivia Sealy
gomez’s Only murders in the building Co-star Martin Short served as MC for the evening, which also included a performance by HER and a DJ set by Marshmello. Candice & Alison conceived, planned and executed this benefit in collaboration with talent agency One Twenty Eight. Three hundred and fifty guests attended, including a mix of celebrities, sponsors, fans and supporters of Rare Impact.
In 2020, Gomez was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, leading her to become an advocate for mental health awareness. The Rare Impact Fund aims to raise $100 million over 10 years to provide resources. Short led the evening’s auction, which included items like a glamorous session with Gomez’s stylists, a movie night with Paul Rudd, tickets to a Coldplay show and a meet-and-greet with Chris Martin, and Taylor Swift concert tickets, which Ultimately sold for $15,000. , Over $2 million was raised by the evening.
Candice & Alison co-founder Alison Slight explained that when reading up on some of Rare Beauty’s main color palettes, decor elements were “intentionally warm and soft to create an inviting, comfortable space for everyone.” This included lounge furnishings in creamy white boucle fabrics in the stage and cocktail spaces and edge-to-edge merlot carpeting to reflect the main color of the Rare Beauty brand, which transformed the venue’s parking lot into an outdoor cocktail area .
While the evening included traditional fundraising elements like an auction, attendees also enjoyed activities like a Rare Beauty x Sephora claw machine with Rare Beauty lip oil prizes that were engraved if won, an Abercrombie & Fitch denim jacket Personalization stations, welded gold forever bracelets provided by Catbird, poetry by The Bumbies, and drawings by roaming sketch artist Miles Lewis. An aromatherapy bar by Catch offered a sensory experience, and slippers were delivered by Barefoot Dreams at the end of the evening.
For planners looking to attract a younger crowd as well as patrons to a benefit event, Slaight recommended challenging the traditional format and “be bold and daring in your vision.”
That could mean abandoning formal sit-down dinners and structured seating arrangements and instead serving meals through a combination of different formats, such as passed-out apps, food stations and food trucks, Slight said. And a rich selection of beverages to choose from.
They also suggested providing space for movement throughout the night with multiple points of engagement through activation elements. But it also includes “passive activations that come to remove the need for intentional engagement on the part of guests.”
Additionally, One Twenty-Eight worked closely with Gomez’s management and the Rare Impact Fund team to find a host and cast that would match the audience and atmosphere of the program, Slaight explained. “For the inaugural year, the team’s goal was to actively engage people who care deeply about Selena, understand the importance of the Rare Impact Fund to them, and truly care about the cause.”
Keep scrolling to see key vendors and more from the inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit…
vendors
food and drink: copper key
Creative Direction and Environmental Design: Candice and Alison
Custom Manufacturing & Production: ajohnston
Flowers: Petal Workshop
Decoration: Rove Concepts, Higher Elegance
Talent: one twenty eight
venue: Nya Studio