Beverly Hills was abuzz the past few weeks with the party scene in full swing on Rodeo Drive and beyond. Here is a look at some of the openings, launches and charity events of note taking place as the holiday season gets underway.
Art, fashion and wine concierge company UOVO hosted a cocktail party at Lanvin on Nov. 12 to celebrate Rodman Primack and Rudy Weissenberg’s new book,” Love How You Live: Adventures in Interior Design,” published by Phaidon.
UOVO has recently opened its Los Angeles hub, which offers a unique concierge service to manage cart, design, fashion and wine collections. Their Long Island City location has been notable for archiving work by Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger as well as being longtime host to Oscar de la Renta’s archive.
Raising a class to the new West Coast outpost and design book were interior designers Richard Petit, Jamie Bush, and Oliver Furth; fashion designer Clare Vivier, Anita Gatto from House of Harlow and art advisor Graham Steele.
Also on the same night, AGCF, the purpose-driven luxury fashion house founded by Alexandra Gucci Zarini, hosted an inaugural art auction event at the brand’s Rodeo Drive boutique to kick off LA Fashion Week presented by N4XT Experiences. The event featured the artworks of four talented female artists, Alex Wasson, Jerri McDorman, Monica Ahanonu and Shelley Kensler—each offering a unique interpretation of AGCF’s signature “Unità”symbol, illustrating AGCF’s commitment to creating meaningful social impact.
All proceeds raised during the auction will be donated by AGCF to The Mama Bear Effect, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building stronger families and protecting children. Through this important cause, AGCF furthers its commitment to bring purpose to the world of luxury fashion and beyond. As a means of continuing the brand’s responsibility to enact and inspire positive change, AGCF pledges 20% of annual profits to organizations dedicated to protecting young women and children globally.
On Nov. 9 at the Pacific Design Center, the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala Presented by Paul Mitchell honored Charlize Theron with the “Giving Tree Award” for her work as a champion for vulnerable women and girls around the world. The star-studded evening raised more than $17 million to support the national nonprofit organization that provides basic necessities to children living in poverty.
The event featured a performance by Nelly, who brought Kelly Rowland onstage for their hit song “Dilemma.” Attendees included Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Anna Kendrick, Ashanti, Heidi Klum, Ciara, Jennifer Garner, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jessica Alba, Julie Bowen, Katy Perry, Mindy Kaling, Erin Foster, Nicole Richie Madden, and Paris Hilton, who all dined on food from Beverly Hills restaurants Funke, Mr. Chow, Jon & Vinny’s and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, among others.
The city’s new private club concept, Gravitas on Camden Drive, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 18 attended by Mayor Lester Friedman, Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian and Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Johnson. Gravitas co-founders Seth Glassman and Brandon Steven hosted the local crowd for a toast on the ground floor bar immediately following the ceremony.
“Gravitas has been a labor of love, to say the least, and having our doors open to our members feels truly surreal,” Steven told the Courier. “It’s an honor to be in the heart of Beverly Hills and we look forward to continue getting to know the incredible community around us.” Friedman praised the team for keeping the integrity of the building and integrating seamlessly into the city. Nazarian commented, “This is exactly what we needed—a forward-thinking, exclusive, place that our city has never really had. Beverly Hills is the place to be.”
Givenchy on Rodeo Drive, celebrated the opening of it’s permanent Beverly Hills flagship location along with C Magazine on Nov. 20. The historic Frank Lloyd Wright structure dating back to 1954, is a multilevel white building punctuated by a central spiral slope dotted with greenery and nooks with seating areas, flanked by a men’s store and a separate two-story women’s boutique. The trio of spaces were filled with guests shopping, mingling, dancing to the DJ, and enjoying vodka martinis, along with President of Givenchy Americas, Valerie Leon.
Down the street, Armani held a bash that was spilling out into the streets where the new Giorgio Armani Fiat 500e was parked on a red carpet. VIPs, top influencers, and celebrities, including rapper will.i.am, “Emily in Paris” star Ashley Park, James Kennedy from “Vanderpump Rules,” Crystal Minkoff, actors Jamie King, and Giancarlo Esposito, were all invited to preview of the new vehicle, along with a set by DJ Shai, while sipping Champagne.