Nicole Kidman, Taylor Sheridan, Diana Ross, and More Celebs Raise $3.1 Million at Inaugural amfAR Fundraiser in Dallas

And voila, Dallas has yet one more sparkly affair to add to its annual roster of sparkly affairs. We had said goodbye to the beloved TWO x TWO Gala with its final call to the tent on the grounds of Rachofsky House in 2024, but then amfAR said they wanted to return in a new incarnation. Todd Events picked up the ball and produced an enchanting evening on the grounds of the host couple’s Preston Hollow estate. Kathleen and Scott Kirby welcomed over 400 well-heeled guests for a fundraiser with lots of Hollywood cameos that hit $3.1 million.

Since 1985, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, has raised close to $950 million through fundraising initiatives and star-studded galas spanning the globe from Cannes to Palm Beach and, of course, Dallas. It is one of the world’s unwavering nonprofits dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, education, and advocacy. Given that it was created by a group in the mid-1980s, the height of the AIDS crisis, that included Elizabeth Taylor, it has long had a history with the support of marquee stars.

That recent night in October in Dallas was no different as Teri Hatcher, Nicole Kidman, Taylor Sheridan, and Ian Bohen (who I must say is the most dashing screen idol I’ve seen in person in a long time) were in attendance.

Given that TWO x TWO supported the Dallas Museum of Art as well, there was a strong connection to the visual arts, and in this new iteration, there was a sports-related theme. In addition to chic couple Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks coach) and Porschla Kidd, in attendance, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki presented amfAR’s Philanthropic Leadership Award to the Gene and Jerry Jones Family. Accepting the accolade on behalf of the Dallas football dynasty was one of the youngest family members — Haley Anderson, Caroline Jones Moldawer, Chambers Jones, Jessica Donnell, and Jordan Jones Munoz.

Award’s season red carpet fashion favorite and longtime amfAR supporter Nicole Kidman was in town to present her friend and producer of her show, Lioness, Taylor Sheridan, with the Award of Inspiration. The Fort Worth native has ramped up filming in North Texas over the last few years. His SGS Studios recently launched a 450,000-square-foot production campus, solidifying Fort Worth as home to the largest operating film studio in Texas. Sheridan also purchased the iconic Cattlemen’s Steak House in the Stockyards and will soon debut a members-only club at the spot.

A highlight of the night was when Sheridan surprised guests with two auction lots that included a set visit, a walk-on role, and a meet-and-greet with the cast from one of his iconic shows. Sheridan’s Landman, filmed in Fort Worth, will premiere its second season this November.

Some of the couture clique from the party included Christen Wilson in an ode to mid-century glam in a brocaded Huisan Zhang cocktail frock and Kara Goss in a Sirapop sequined sheath dress. I had cocktails earlier that week with two other attendees, Abi Perpall and Annika Cail, and had remarked to Annika that I loved it when she did a stop-traffic hair moment at last year’s Dallas Contemporary Gala. She delivered at amfAR with another iteration of a cascading pony-tail with balls of hair in different sizes — simply too glamorous for words. And best best-dressed boy? Vito Cammisano was giving Landman and Johnny Cash’s Man in Black vibes in a Commes des Garçons iridescent black suit accessorized with a black Stetson hat.

Other fashion stars I spotted dancing to the iconic Diana Ross (the events headliner) that gorgeous fall evening included TWO x TWO founders/internationally renowned art collectors Cindy and Howard Rachofsky; Forty Five Ten co-creative directors Robin Wilkes and Kyle Branch; Nickki St. George who attended the evening with her dear friend Teri Hatcher; Dallas based interior designers Jan Showers and Javier Burkle; Grange Hall’s Rajan Patel; and Megan Delgado, Pete West, Joyce Goss, Wendy and Bill Payne, Luis Araujo, Lisa Arpey, Moll and Charlie Anderson, Amy Green, Ramiro Garcia, Pablo Arellano, and Mason McCleskey.