It’s gala season in New York City, which means celebrities, socialites, and the city’s elite will don their best black tie attire for evenings filled with champagne, celebration, and fundraising. All the usual events are set to return this year, including the New York City Ballet Gala, co-chaired by Sarah Jessica Parker, Dianna Agron, Andy Cohen, and Tiffany Haddish among others. Also on the schedule is Storm King’s Annual Gala at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, and the New York Philharmonic Opening Gala, which featured a solo performance by Josh Groban. Of course, the party circuit in NYC is as buzzing as ever for fall. H&M kicked things off with a block party attended by Riley Keough, Emily Ratajkowski, and Nara Smith and Lucky Blue Smith—where Kaytranada was spinning hits all night. But that’s hardly all one should expect this season. There will be many more fetes to come, and even if you can’t score an invite, you’ll want to keep up with all the celeb-filled goings-on here.
Cher and Tyra Banks delayed the comedown from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show with another night of celebration, albeit one that was slightly less performative. On Wednesday night, the two were joined by Jodie Turner-Smith, Cara Delevingne, and more for an event held in honor of the reopening of Burberry’s East 57th Street flagship store. Dressed in Daniel Lee’s best designs, guests enjoyed a cocktail event in-store, followed by a dinner at Jean’s in NoHo.
Current Burberry campaign star Delevingne was also in attendance, pairing a shearling coat with a black leather skirt. Turner-Smith, meanwhile, wore a unique take on the classic Burberry trench featuring cutout floral details and matching wide-leg pants. For his part, Lee dressed in plaid pants and an olive green leather puffer. Altogether the guests looked like a walking advertisement for the brand’s new outerwear-focused push, “It’s Always Burberry Weather.”
On October 17, A-Listers traveled en masse to Melrose Place where FoundRae opened its first-ever LA location. Sarah Paulson, Allison Janney, and January Jones were among the guests who enjoyed cocktails, light bites, and a walk-through of the brand’s new space, set inside a vine-covered stucco storefront on the iconic shopping street.
Also in attendance was designer Aurora James, who tried on one of the vintage-inspired pieces created by FoundRae’s founder Beth Hutchens.
On October 9, H&M celebrated its connection to music with a dance party tucked away on Mercer Street, right behind the brand’s SoHo store. Hosted by Amelia Gray, the night featured DJ sets from Kaytranada, Channel Tres, and Kitty Ca$h, as well as appearances from some of Gray’s model friends like Emily Ratajkowski and Mona Tougaard. Of course, actors Riley Keough and Evan Mock were also on hand for the celebration.
Gray did not hold back when dressing for the evening, donning a reworked hockey jersey as a dress and large, off-white stiletto boots that encircled her legs. Other attendees, meanwhile, stuck with more minimalist attire. Ratajkowski arrived to the event in a gray, v-neck sweater dress and black leather boots, while Tougaard wore gray oversize trousers and a black sweater that casually dropped off one shoulder. Keough, meanwhile, opted for wide-leg jeans and a faux-fur coat, staying warm throughout the night as she enjoyed the music.
That same evening, further uptown, a different sort of celebration was taking place. The New York City Ballet hosted its 12th annual Fall Fashion Gala, raising $3.2 million in the process. The A-list group of co-chairs—which included Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Sedaris, and Laverne Cox—led the way for a glamorous evening of dance and style, held at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Jeremy O. Harris, Jordan Roth, Justin Theroux, and other stars dressed to the nines for the event, which celebrated the works of three female choreographers this year. The ballets were the crown jewels of the evening, as guests took in the specially designed costumes that accompany each respective performance. Zac Posen, specifically, created the pieces for Tiler Peck’s Concerto for Two Pianos, which capped off the glamorous night.
On Tuesday, September 24, Josh Groban headlined a special evening honoring the New York Philharmonic for its 2024-25 season Opening Gala. The evening began with a cocktail reception before Groban took the stage at the Wu Tsai Theater in David Geffen Hall. He was also joined by guest conductor, Manfred Honeck, who lead Franz von Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture and a suite of music from Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. The evening concluded with a sit-down dinner, attended by guests including Alec Baldwin and k.d. lang.