For a city known to take “fashionably late” as a hard-and-fast directive, the serene outdoor space was quickly filled with musicians, actors, models, and Olympic champions standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they sipped on gin negronis and prosecco. “There’s so many fun faces,” Tinashe said. “It always puts me out of my comfort zone a little bit coming to these events without a plus one, but it makes you mingle.”
And mingle they did. Union was eager to speak to Gemma Chan (“I told her, ‘So, Crazy Rich Asians was announced as a TV show…what the hell?!’”). Tracee Ellis Ross beelined to Garfield, who was laughing with Fallout star Thomasin McKenzie. Tinashe greeted two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim with a warm hug, her glass of prosecco dangling precariously at the end of her frosted-manicured fingers. Gabby Windey, Kathryn Newton, Russell Westbrook, Ravyn Lenae, and Vittoria Cerretti were also among the 50-person guest list.
Despite the uncharacteristically prompt arrivals, an unhurried air of European hospitality permeated the event, which was hosted by chairman Leonardo Ferragamo and creative director Maximilian Davis. About an hour in, a surprise outdoor screening of Martina Ferragamo and Simone Coppo’s short film Un Passo Alla Volta (One Step at a Time) began: a playful and meta homage to Martina’s grandfather Salvatore Ferragamo’s beginnings as a Hollywood shoemaker before returning home to build his namesake brand in the late 1920s. “Los Angeles is a part of Ferragamo’s story,” Davis told Vogue. “Salvatore built his reputation in the U.S. This moment is about honoring the heritage while presenting a modern vision of the house.”
It was an emotional moment for Salvatore’s son Leonardo, who was joined at the centre table by multiple generations of Ferragamos. “You can imagine what incredible meaning it has for us to reopen the shop after 100 years in the same city where everything started,” he told guests once everyone was seated. “We have opened our flagship in Beverly Hills with the conviction that it will be a milestone for the next 100 years, for the new generations, and for the generation to come.”
From there, wine flowed as attendees tucked into filet mignon and sea bass while chatting across large burgundy floral centerpieces. “I thought it was so beautiful and charming, and I wasn’t aware of the history of the family,” Chan told Vogue, referring to the short. The actress came straight from a screening of her own Oscar-tipped feature, Josephine, noting there’s nothing like “getting cozy” with a good film on a rainy night. “I’ve been just chatting with Andrew Garfield,” she added. “We’re both excited to see each other’s movies.”
Chan left the dinner a touch early while Garfield, who’s starring in Artificial, stayed until the evening began winding down around 10:30 p.m. A few others lingered past dessert, enjoying a nightcap before happily accepting a bright red Ferragamo gift bag and a decadent bar of dark chocolate for the ride home.