Dining for Africa with Supermodels

On February 3, VIP guests graciously spent their evening dining in support of the African Wildlife Foundation, an event sponsored by luxury watchmaker Hublot and held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Amongst the finest in red carpet attendees were our own Haute Living former cover profile Russell Simmons and former Miss Universe Tanzania Flaviana Matata, New York Governor David Paterson, Starvos Niarchos, Lapo Elkann, and IMG CEO and financier Ted Forstmann. Chelsea Clinton arrived with fiancé Marc Mezvinksy and rushed past the red carpet, dashing by blazing flashes of aspiring paparazzi. Newest AWF ambassador and host of the evening, Veronica Varekova, waltzed along the ruby-colored floor covering in philanthropic spirit and graced the presence of press with smiles fit for a Sports Illustrated cover.

Juxtapower, the internationally renowned South African theater production, began the evening with an inspiring presentation of raw energy. Following their performance, Molly Sims took the stage to moderate the event’s live auction. As the bids escalated on goods like exotic trips and Hublot watches, she encouraged the stakes as it was all in good spirits to raise funds for AWF initiatives focused on conserving large landscapes, protecting endangered species, and empowering local communities.

For the evening’s affair, CEO Jean-Claude Biver, who has a taste for the finer delicacies in life, imported the exclusive Chateau d’Yquem from 1894 and 1895. Hublot was proud to take part in the event, as Biver stated, “Hublot enjoys the constant challenge of heading the industry through our guiding principle of fusion, but as such a leader we believe it’s important to also take on the responsibility to give back to the world around us.”

The evening ended on a resounding note of entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and luxury.