Heidi Klum's boyfriend bought her a plastic snail - which cost $22,000.

The 42-year-old supermodel encouraged Vito Schnabel to buy the giant plastic sculpture at the 7th annual amfAR Milano gala auction on Saturday (26.09.15), and was thrilled when he made the winning bid.

Speaking from the stage at the event, which she chaired, Heidi said: ''Vito, I thought you were going to buy me the snail!''

Heidi later said she planned to put the three metre sculpture, which was created by the Cracking Art Group, in her garden.

Elsewhere at the event, which raised $1.6 million for the AIDS research charity, Dakota Johnson introduced a performance from Blondie singer Debbie Harry, describing the 70-year old rocker as her ''personal perception of cool''.

During the auction, a photograph of Debbie taken by Mick Rock in 1970 sold for a staggering $24,500, while bidding on the chance to race a Ferrari and other high-performance cars in Las Vegas with 'Fast and Furious' actress Michelle Rodriguez surpassed $83,000, with Lapo Elkann, whose family control Ferrari, winning the lot.

Other guests at the star-studded event in Milan included Michelle, Ciara, and Naomi Campbell, while Swedish duo Icona Pop also performed.

Caroline Hjelt from the group said: ''We were first of all very honoured to be part of such a great event. We didn't even think. We said yes, yes, yes.''