Oscar

The Elton John AIDS Foundation celebrated its 20th annual viewing party at the newly redesigned West Hollywood Park, a change of venue from its usual haunt, the Pacific Design Center. Virginia Fout of V Productions produced the event, which this year got a blue, nautical-inspired look with design by Antony Todd. The fund-raising event took in $5.25 million, thanks in part to auction items like the opportunity to join John and husband David Furnish at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, which sold for $230,000. Chef Cat Cora, supported by Crumble Catering, prepared a five-course meal for guests that included sesame-encrusted lamb meatballs with harissa yogurt, sautéed sea bass with lemon couscous and piquillo pepper saffron sauce, and chocolate budino with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Vanity Fair took its annual A-list event back to the Sunset Tower hotel, which was bathed in colorful lighting that matched the host's brand. Inside, the hot-ticket viewing dinner got an understated look.

An oversized Oscar statuette stood sentry at the Governors Ball, produced and designed by Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions with ball chair Jeffrey Kurland. This year's event at the Grand Ballroom on the top level of Hollywood & Highland got a revamped format, abandoning the traditional sit-down dinner for a format Cecchetto described as "energized," with a meal of more than 50 mostly tray-passed dishes by Wolfgang Puck.

About 500 pieces of lounge furniture required for the event's new format came from Lux Lounge Event Furniture Rentals. Additional rentals came from Classic Party Rentals and Luxe Event Rentals. Flowers, done in a variety of sculptural red looks, came from Mark's Garden.

Thomas Ford of Tom Ford Designs constructed a tent over the hotel's fountain and transformed the space using the colors of natural elements such as anthracite, gold, quartz, and bronze. Design highlights included illuminated agate quartz walls and a gold ceiling.

A 20-foot-wide shimmering gold metal chandelier included 15,000 hand-tied hanging gold metal disc strands.

A dramatic 24-foot-tall, 130-foot-wide wall by Special Event Contractors covered with black paillette draperies created the backdrop for HBO's event while concealing two floors of hotel guest rooms.

A 12-foot custom bar and back bar for the party's exclusive liquor DeLeon comprised 2,400 of the brand’s gold-plated corks arranged to form a “D” logo.

Ceiling treatments that bore an intricate, scale-like look hung above the tented party space.