WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Though the weather finally started to break on Wednesday morning, it has been extremely hot out in Los Angeles for the last few days. Like 105 degrees hot.
This is at least 20 degrees too hot for most social activity, including any sort that involves being outside, especially outside at the Chateau Marmont, which automatically means famous and altogether fancy people.
But the show must go on, and on Tuesday afternoon, Ronald O. Perelman and Revlon
hosted its annual Philanthropic Luncheon in support of its Women’s Health Mission with a courtyard full of celebrities, including Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson, Melanie Griffith, Anjelica Huston, Ciara, Cindy Crawford, Courteney Cox, Julianne Hough and Don Johnson.
Many of them, no doubt, brought reams of blotting paper. That is, if celebrities actually sweat.
“We’re not going to complain,” said Marion Laurie, who helped found the Women’s Cancer Research Fund in 2003, taking her seat in between Lilly Tartikoff and her husband Bruce Karatz and the Foster sisters, Erin and Sara.
“Exactly. We’re sweating for women’s health,” said the stylist Rachel Zoe, who turned to her seatmate, Ms. Hough, to compliment her lacy outfit. “You managed to look really dressed up but air-conditioned.”
There were a surprising number of ladies in blazers, but at least some dressed for the weather, including the now Los Angeles-based designer Rachel Roy and her friend, the marketing exec Veronica Smiley Grazer.
“Are you guys wearing the same shoes?” Brian Grazer asked his wife and Ms. Roy, who were wearing similar froufrou sandals.
“No,” said Ms. Roy, showing the Rochas label on hers. “But we’re slide sisters.”
Mr. Perelman remarked on the “excruciating heat,” noting that he just flew in from New York where “it’s beautiful and it’s cool, so if any of you want to come back with me, I’ll give you a ride.”
The luncheon honored Dr. Dennis Slamon, the director of the Revlon/UCLA Women’s Cancer Research Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Revlon donated $1 million to his efforts in cancer research, and celebrated its own Love is On fundraising challenge. Among the other guests were Peggy Lipton and her daughter Rashida Jones, Brett Ratner, Cassandra and Brad Grey, Lorraine Bracco, Penny Marshall, Elaine Irwin, Shelli Azoff and Allison Azoff Statter.
Pop-up, heart-inspired installations were created by the New York artist Curtis Kulig to serve as backdrops for the photo booth. (Various Meyers, including Kelly, Jen, Sarah and Carson jumped in for photographs.) The afternoon also featured an impassioned speech by Kara Dolce, a breast cancer survivor and New Yorker, who now lives in Portland.
Ms. Dolce founded a charity called Fighting Pretty that sends care packages (including pink boxing gloves) to women diagnosed with cancer. Ms. Cox helped lead a standing ovation after Ms. Dolce spoke.
Meanwhile, each lunch table featured elongated centerpieces that read “Spread the power of love.”
Revlon chief executive Fabian Garcia said that the program was especially important to its female consumer base.
“We had the responsibility to support that woman, including make her as healthy as we could,” Mr. Garcia explained.
Write to Marshall Heyman at marshall.heyman@wsj.com
