La dolce got a whole lot more vita in Capri this weekend – or something like that – as celebrities, influencers, and members of the fashion set landed on the picture perfect Italian island. The reason? LuisaViaRoma’s annual gala in aid of children’s charity UNICEF, which it’s been partnering with for six years now. With a huge auction, a glam dinner, a vast amount of shots, and a glittering performance from J.Lo – this weekend in 70s disco mode – here’s everything you need to know, right from the centre of the action. 

THE NIGHT CENTRED AROUND A MEGA AUCTION

The gala might have been a mega-glam, uber-bougie kind of night, but most important of all was the cause at its core. In a bid to raise money for UNICEF – and more specifically this year the charity’s humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, where many children have been displaced from their homes or lost their families to war – the evening centred around a massive auction. Bringing in the big bucks was an XXL photograph of OG supermodel Claudia Schiffer by Ellen Von Unwertth, a motorbike from cult 1969 movie Easy Rider, and a painting by baby Picasso artist prodigy, 10-year-old Andres Valencia. 

THE GUESTLIST? OUTRAGEOUS

The whole night was hosted by Jamie Foxx, who hyped up the audience and even got behind the decks at various points (fun fact: the Django Unchained star was also spotted mooching around the island ahead of the event, announcing his presence on its many piazzas by blaring bangers out of a handheld ghetto blaster… as you do). Also glamming themselves up for a night with LuisaViaRoma were legendary director Spike Lee, supermodels Karolina Kurkova and Lara Stone, Vanessa Hudgens, Emily in Paris’s Ashley Park, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Most fun, though, were the Haim sisters, who got on the vodka shots post-dinner and couldn’t stop talking about how excited they were about seeing J.Lo perform. Honestly girlies, totally same!!!

J.LO TURNED DISCO DIVA FOR THE NIGHT

I was under the illusion J.Lo would maybe do two or three songs max – but how wrong I was. Instead, Jenny from the Block put on a whole performance with an hour-long set. Kicking off with On The 6 classics “If You Had My Love” and “Waiting for Tonight”, the star soon ripped off her custom Roberto Cavalli crystal-encrusted catsuit to reveal… a second crystal-encrusted catsuit to perform a glitzy disco medley. Throwing on an enormous feather-trimmed coat over her shoulders as part of a look that channelled that iconic Hustlers moment, she filled the gaps between songs with anecdotes about her mum watching big galas – like the one she was performing at – on TV when she was still baby J.Lo and how much she loved seeing all the glam disco divas doing their thing on stage, before next thing you knew, she was being flung around in the air by a bunch of sequin-clad macho men. An iconique moment if ever there was one, especially given the temperature reached standing-on-the-surface-of-the-sun levels on the night. 

THE WHOLE NIGHT RAISED HEAPS

Between spenny ticket sales and the aforementioned behemoth auction, the night raised a grand total of eight million Euros, which is not too shabby an amount, no? “Thanks to LuisaViaRoma for once again being by our side,” said UNICEF Italy’s executive director, Paolo Rozera, of the evening. “Every year UNICEF faces more and more emergencies and works to ensure not only a peaceful present but also a better future for every child. This is a great challenge that we can only overcome thanks to the contribution of those who choose to get involved with us, supporting our work and donating. These events are precious as they help keep the spotlight on emergencies and situations that we cannot forget, and support children in need.” 

IT ENDED WITH A PARTY IN THE WOODS

After the auction had finished, dinner was over, and J.Lo had packed away her crystals and massive coat, the party moved out of the amphitheatre and into the woods, where Michael Kors picked up where LuisaViaRoma left off. With shoes kicked off into the bushes, everyone got down to dancing under the trees in front of a set up that put Glastonbury to shame. Needless to say, the hangover was real come Sunday morning.