Versace continued its partnership with the Clooney Foundation for Justice with a special evening in London earlier this week, held at the Natural History Museum.
The Albies, hosted annually by Amal and George Clooney, celebrates individuals making significant contributions to human rights, equality and justice around the world.
Since 2023, Versace has worked alongside the Clooney Foundation to champion global changemakers. As lead partner, the house uses its cultural influence to highlight those advancing social justice and equality. The event brought together international figures from across human rights, business, entertainment, fashion and technology, united in recognition of those driving progress in their communities.
Dario Vitale and Donatella Versace by Andrew Tess
This year’s honourees included Fatou Baldeh, the Gambian women’s rights activist and founder of Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL). A survivor of female genital mutilation, Baldeh was instrumental in opposing efforts to overturn The Gambia’s ban on the practice. Guatemalan journalist Jose Rubén Zamora was recognised for his three-decade career exposing political corruption, while American editor Marty Baron was honoured for his defence of a free press during his leadership of The Boston Globe and The Washington Post.
Melinda French Gates received recognition for over 25 years of advocacy for women’s health and gender equality, and for her work leading Pivotal, an organisation advancing women’s power and influence globally. The Ford Foundation’s president, Darren Walker, was presented with The Albies’ lifetime achievement award for his decades of philanthropic work, including creating the first billion-dollar social bond in US capital markets to support non-profit organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the guests supporting the evening were Ramla Ali, Baria Alamuddin, Luna Carmoon, Bianca Jagger, Joseph Quinn, Russell Tovey, Graham Norton, Shailene Woodley, and Amal Clooney. They were joined by Versace’s Chief Creative Officer Dario Vitale, CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger, and Chief Brand Ambassador Donatella Versace.
Past Albies recipients have included labour leader Dolores Huerta, journalist Maria Ressa, Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege, activist Nadia Murad, and the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.
