THE CORPORATE CO-OPT: Why Kering’s ‘Feminist’ Gala Is A $ Million Sham
The Cannes Film Festival just wrapped, but the scandalous stench of corporate hypocrisy is only intensifying! Kering’s annual “Women in Motion” dinner, hosted by actress Salma Hayek and her husband, billionaire CEO François-Henri Pinault, is no longer a charming, intimate gathering. It is an aggressively calculated PR platform designed to leverage the powerful message of gender equality for the benefit of Pinault’s massive luxury conglomerate.
Sources confirm the event now boasts a staggering -person waiting list—a clear sign that the wealthy elite know where the real power (and brand visibility) lies. While Pinault gushes that “People are asking to come, people are asking to contribute,” the reality is that they are asking to rub shoulders with the Kering brass, network with execs like honoree Donna Langley, and snag a lucrative, high-end endorsement deal. This gala is a cynical, annual spectacle that turns a vital movement into a marketing opportunity.
Hayek’s Hypocrisy: Pushing Empowerment While Wearing The Uniform
Salma Hayek, wearing the Kering uniform (a mauve sequined gown with a sheer cape) and dazzling Boucheron jewels (a Kering-backed brand), was positioned as the evening’s primary celebrity anchor. She praised the event’s growing momentum as a “very good problem,” yet she simultaneously embodies the exact corporate structure that the movement seeks to challenge.
Hayek is an actress, but her main role here is as the ultimate corporate wife. She is using her immense platform to validate an event founded by her husband, ensuring that the positive glow of “empowering women” reflects directly back onto the Kering brand. This blatant blending of activism and commerce makes the entire message feel hollow and deeply self-serving.
The Langley Twist: Honoring Executives To Maintain Studio Control
This year’s choice of honoree, Universal Studios chair Donna Langley, is the most controversial move yet. Traditionally, the award has celebrated artistic talent, but Langley is the first executive to receive the prize. Hayek praised Langley as a “visionary leader,” but insiders are questioning the motivation.
Honoring the head of a major studio is a strategic move to cement Kering’s influence at the very top of the Hollywood food chain. It is a powerful exchange: Kering lends its prestigious “feminist” platform to Langley, and in return, Langley’s studio provides the green light for future creative collaborations, likely involving Kering’s own Saint Laurent Productions. This isn’t about breaking the “celluloid ceiling”—it is about buying corporate access and influence.
The Saint Laurent Propaganda: Blending Art and Commerce
Kering is aggressively pushing its film production initiative, Saint Laurent Productions, using stars like Zoe Saldana and Édgar Ramírez to shill the project. Ramírez called the initiative a “win-win,” but for whom? It is a “win” for Kering, which gets to associate its luxury brand with cinematic art, and a “win” for the actors, who get high-end wardrobe curated by creative director Anthony Vaccarello.
Ramírez even shared a humorous anecdote about the difficulty of scoring premiere tickets—a calculated way to emphasize the exclusive, aspirational nature of the Kering-backed projects. The goal is to make the audience believe that the fashion and the film are genuinely artistic, not commercial, thereby generating massive goodwill and, ultimately, higher sales for Saint Laurent.
The MeToo Exploitation: Leveraging Trauma for Brand Polish
The gala went even further, strategically acknowledging the vital MeToo movement by referencing French filmmaker Judith Godreche, who bravely spoke out about abuse. While Kering’s foundation supports efforts to combat sexual violence, the inclusion of such heavy, important social issues at a glamorous, opulent dinner feels exploitative.
The cynical truth is that associating the Kering brand with the fight against sexual violence provides an invaluable layer of ethical polish—a corporate deflection against any past or future scrutiny regarding their own supply chains or business practices. They are using the gravity of social trauma to make their luxury goods feel morally superior.
The Cliffhanger: What Is The Real Cost of This ‘Motion’?
Kering’s Women in Motion dinner is a powerful, highly polished event that generates massive, overwhelmingly positive press. Hayek, Pinault, and the constellation of stars ensure the brand wins the week. But the underlying issue remains: Is Kering’s immense wealth truly advancing gender equality, or is it simply buying the right to publicly celebrate it?
With stars like Diane Kruger urging for brands to deepen their support for emerging female filmmakers, the pressure is on Pinault to prove that this event is more than just a massive PR operation. If the investment in women filmmakers does not dramatically increase, this “Women in Motion” gala will forever be exposed as the biggest corporate fashion sham in Cannes history.
