Before the Oscars, VIPs Gather at Vanity Fair and Saint Laurent Awards Season Dinner

’Twas the night before the night before the Oscars, and high in the Hollywood Hills, Oscar nominees and VIPs were gathered for the annual Saint Laurent x Vanity Fair pre-Oscar dinner.

The intimate event, co-hosted by Saint Laurent Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello and Vanity Fair Editor in Chief Radhika Jones, welcomed an exclusive crowd of cinephiles and style iconsto celebrate the end of awards season and the intersection of art and fashion.

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Vacarello, whose Saint Laurent Productions produced best picture nominee Emilia Pérez  said he is always thrilled to celebrate the creative achievements in cinema and especially proud to have been a part of best picture nominee, Pérez.

“Emilia Pérez received 13 Oscar nominations and I think it would be exceptional for any producer, whether they are a film veteran or someone who is relatively new to the industry, like me,” he said. “This is an unprecedented accomplishment, the first time a non-English movie earns so many nominations at the Oscars and not only that, it is even more extraordinary that this is also the first time ever a brand—Saint Laurent Productions and I—are recognized this way. Whatever happens Sunday night, it’s already quite meaningful to be part of a history-making project. I’m incredibly proud.”

Held at the historic, John Lautner–designed home of producer Mitch Glazer and actress Kelly Lynch, guests were invited to enjoy an elegant cocktail hour in the home’s foyer and sitting room, as well as an expansive outdoor space featuring stunning, near-panoramic Los Angeles city views. After cocktails, attendees were escorted into the home’s exquisite interior for the private seated dinner.

“Saint Laurent is fucking cool!” exclaimed Anora star and scene-stealer Mark Eydelshteyn of the party’s overall vibe. Jodie Turner-Smith agreed: “It’s gorgeous. This is my first time coming to anything with this brand. I love how chic and sexy it all feels, and this is a chic and sexy house.”

Additional attendees included Zoë Kravitz, Rosé, Adrien Brody, Olivia Wilde, Édgar Ramírez, Leila George, Jon Hamm, Sasha Calle, Kaitlyn Dever, Dominic Sessa, Georgie Farmer, Danny Ramirez, Ruth Negga, Hunter Doohan, Esther McGregor, Nadia Lee Cohen, METTE, Anja Rubik, JR, Devon Lee Carlson, Sydney Lee Carlson, Lorraine Nicholson, Ben Robson, and Ethan Dawes.

Édgar Ramírez, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Radhika Jones

Photograph by Saskia Lawaks.

Eydelshteyn was very popular with guests and his fellow actors, happily chatting, mingling, and even taking a few jumping photos for the event’s photographer. The actor, who will be cheering on his film’s six Oscar nominations with his director and cast on Sunday, said he’s recently become a fan of LA sunrises. “The last five days, I’m waking up at 4:00 AM because I have jet lag,” he said. “But then I’m going out from the hotel and walking around Beverly Hills. I just really like this neighborhood, and I really like Los Angeles in the morning. It’s my favorite thing in Los Angeles, to see the sunrises.”

Best actor nominee Adrien Brody strolled into the event with his longtime love Georgina Chapman. The Brutalist star posed for photos and spent time catching up with event co-host Anthony Vaccarello.

Jon Hamm, who last year jokingly told VF that he and wife Anna Osceola enjoy the annual dinner due to its close proximity to their house, spent some quality time with homeowners and hosts Glazer and Lynch. He also had a long chat with Emilia Pérez star Édgar Ramírez, who is very much looking forward to Sunday’s awards show.

“The celebration of cinema is always beautiful. It’s been a disruptive year aesthetically, the sense that movies that are very different from each other are considered for the Academy Awards—and that is a beautiful thing,” Ramírez said.

Adding to that sentiment, which of course includes their film Emilia Pérez, Vacarello said that he hopes Saint Laurent Productions can continue to be a part of bringing groundbreaking projects by game changing artists to the big screen. Especially after their successes this year. “I think we just took to the next level something we were already doing,” he said of the production studio. “From the moment I arrived at Saint Laurent, I started working with the likes of Gaspar Noé and Bret Easton Ellis. These were smaller, fashion-focused projects, but what we’re doing now is a progression of that, we’re simply telling more universal stories with a wider set of directors and taking it to the next level.”

With the Oscars just two days away, a lot of conversation revolved around this year’s nominees. The Holdovers star Dominic Sessa said that he “really liked Gladiator II for the spectacle of it all.” He also praised Anora: “Mikey Madison, I thought her performance was incredible.” Sessa, who’s currently starring in Hotels.com commercials with fellow attendee Kaitlyn Dever, said he’s still getting used to being in and around the entertainment business. “I’ve gotten a little bit used to acting full time and not being in school,” he said. “I’m kind of taking things slowly, but also really excited about the opportunities that I’ve gotten.”

Up-and-coming actor Esther McGregor, meanwhile, is rooting for The Brutalist. “I’m very new to these things. I’m just so honored and feel very privileged to be here,” she said. “The Brutalist was probably my favorite film I’ve seen of the year. I thought it was just really done fantastically.”

Booksmart director Olivia Wilde and star Dever were spotted catching up together near the bar, and happily shared a few of their film favorites as well.

Olivia WildePhotograph by Saskia Lawaks.

“I am so inspired by all the movies this season,” said Wilde. “It’s so wonderful that, speaking of Saint Laurent, they produced Emilia Pérez, and that Anthony is such a champion of film. You can see that with the way they’ve highlighted filmmakers and their campaigns. And I’m not surprised that he championed Jacques Audiard. I love that film so much.”

“I love Conclave and Emilia Pérez,” added Dever. “I’m really on Zoe [Saldaña]’s team here. She’s incredible.”

The two actresses agreed that The Substance was a stand-out this season as well. “It felt like a documentary about Hollywood. I loved it,” said Wilde. “My favorite documentary of the year is The Substance.”

This year, in conjunction with our Oscar-week events, Vanity Fair is supporting the efforts of two local organizations helping Angelenos: the Motion Picture & Television Fund and Baby2Baby. We encourage you to donate to these or other charities supporting the city and families.