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32 $ 9.3 MILLION LOOKS LIKE What T WO x TWO week (now weeks) is a marathon, not a sprint. Even those who shut down Nancy Rogers annual Halloween party on the Friday prior to the gala looked dapper and glamorous for the main event on Saturday. Five hundred people attended the always sold-out black-tie gala, held at the Richard Meier-designed Rachofsky House — home of hosts Cindy and Howard. The estate is the perfect party venue. Guests arrive in a valet line off Preston Road, where passersby crane their necks to glimpse what's happening behind the white wall. Men in Tom Ford tuxedos and women in Chanel gowns make their way down the longest of all red-carpet experiences to the geodesic dome erected each year by Todd Fiscus for the dinner and entertainment. Broadway sensation Alan Cumming was the welcome committee, singing cabaret songs as guests entered the tent. And while TWO x TWO is oft about caviar and Dom Perignon, there is still gala business to tend to. William H. Roedy, amfAR chairman of the board, presented artist Dana Schutz with amfAR's 2018 Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS. Katherine Brodbeck, assistant curator of contemporary art at the DMA, spoke about Schutz and her noted body of work. Melissa Ireland, TWO x TWO director, announced a new program named The Cindy and Howard Rachofsky Visionary Fund, created in honor of the Rachofskys many years of dedication to TWO x TWO. The fund will support special initiatives outside of the annual fund-raising efforts for TWO x TWO. There were 158 works of art offered in the live and silent auctions this year — honored artist Schutz's work sold for a whopping amount that helped break the record. But this year, a number of glamorous experiential packages stood out, including a trip to Napa wine country hosted by restaurateur and chef Thomas Keller and Casa Dragones co- founder Bertha González Nieves. High on my list were tickets to the Academy Awards and entrée to the star-studded Vanity Fair party that follows. I don't know who purchased the Oscars package, but if you are looking for a date, I'm your man. A grand anniversary calls for a grande dame. TWO x TWO organizers tapped queen of divas Diana Ross to perform. Known for her stage presence and enviable gowns, Miss Ross is like a human disco ball. This was a had-to-be-there-to-believe-it performance, as Ross insisted that her photo not be taken while she was on stage. At one point during her performance of memorable songs, she spotted an attendee in a sparkling frock that rivaled hers: It was Christen Wilson, whom Ross summoned on stage to join her. Talk about high wattage — no pyrotechnics needed. SEEN: Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the Eugene McDermott Director of the DMA; Vogue editor at large Hamish Bowles; Forty Five Ten and Tenoversix's Kristen Cole with husband and Joe Cole; Elizabeth Chambers Hammer and Armie Hammer; Becca Cason Thrash; Nasiba Adilova and Thomas Hartland- Mackie; Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd; fashion designer Adam Lippes; Jessica and Dirk Nowitzki; Deedie Rose; Jessica Craig-Martin; John Berggruen; Tim Blum; and Casey Kaplan. (continued from page 30) Alan Cumming, Cindy Rachofsky Todd Fiscus & Ceron, Becca Cason Thrash, Hamish Bowles Armie Hammer, Thomas Hartland-Mackie Michael Arnold Tim Headington, Cindy & Howard Rachofsky Melissa Meeks Ireland Jessica Craig Martin Christen Wilson Dr. Agustin Arteaga & Carlos Gonzalez-Jaime Tom Lentz Marguerite Hoffman Lisa Runyon, Nancy Rogers Whitney Wolfe Herd, Josie Kalisman, Dana Arnold, Claire Olshan Nasiba Adilova, Elizabeth Chambers Hammer