CANNES, France — It was an evening of duos: two parties, two towering cakes and, most importantly, two icons.
L’Oréal Paris turned the second night of the Cannes Film Festival into a celebration of longevity, honoring ambassadors Gong Li and Jane Fonda for 30 and 20 years with the beauty giant, respectively.
Held atop the Hôtel Martinez before moving downstairs into the hotel’s Palme d’Or restaurant, the evening followed the pair’s appearance at Cannes’ opening ceremony the night before, where they officially declared the festival open.
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Fonda, visibly emotional, said she was “honored” to share the moment with Gong and reflected on her decades with the brand. Thanking the other spokeswomen in attendance, she added that working alongside them over the years had given her “so much confidence.”
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The actresses held hands as they took the stage.
“We were really moved yesterday and very proud to see you together on stage making such a strong statement for cinema in the world,” said Laetitia Toupet, global brand president of L’Oréal Paris, who introduced the pair.
“Yesterday, you showed us that very powerful sisterhood together, saying that we need to continue to move forward and make cinema move forward,” Toupet said, praising the actresses for representing “stories that shape culture.”
“Beyond what you’ve done for cinema, you are very strong and bold women,” she said. “This is how you spread what matters for us, which is worth. And today, we know that journey is going a bit backward. And as you will know, even I’m here talking to men, we know that when women thrive, the world changes.”
The duo was joined on stage by fellow ambassadors Heidi Klum, Alia Bhatt and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu and Aja Naomi King. The party picked up as jury members Park Chan-wook, Stellan Skarsgård and Demi Moore arrived later in the evening.
Moore and Klum swapped makeup war stories rather than beauty tips, with Moore discussing the prosthetic-heavy transformation required for “The Substance” while asking Klum about her elaborate Met Gala costume. French Canadian singer Charlotte Cardin performed as guests sipped Champagne under the sparkling lights.
Fonda and Gong were each presented with massive three-tiered cakes, which were moved downstairs into the dinner. Later, guests broke into “Happy Birthday” as Gong and Fonda blew out candles together. Fonda, ever the actress, brandished the cake knife theatrically before cutting the first slice.