Presented by Stuart Weitzman
“Thank you guys so much for coming; I know you have so many other things to do!” said Issa Rae to a room full of fashion editors, content-makers, and executives. “And I heard Beyoncé was at the other event!” she added in a joke. Her intel was good—seated across from her at last night’s dinner at L’Avenue at Saks’s downstairs portion, Le Chalet, was Sergio Hudson, who had dressed Beyoncé in a butter-yellow look for Glamour’s Women of the Year. Nonetheless, there was nowhere else the room wanted to be, especially since we were toasting with Rae’s Viarae Prosecco. “It’s very cruel to have me do this speech at the end of the night when y’all give us unlimited wine!” she added while clutching a glass of her bubbly. The artful placement was a reminder that Rae is a Renaissance woman, and that is exactly what Stuart Weitzman had hoped to celebrate—in Rae but in all women—in their latest campaign, “How Lovely to Be a Woman.”
At 7:00 p.m., a buzzy group that included Bethann Hardison, Quil Lemons, and Richie Shazam was welcomed to the Le Chalet by Vogue’s own senior fashion editor, Naomi Elizée, who served as party co-host. At first glance, guests may not have noticed the Stuart Weitzman imagery pinned to the walls of the downstairs portion of L’Avenue (Le Chalet), but it was a touch that fit in perfectly with the space’s Alpine cabin feel. Many in the room were fresh from Paris, including Saks’ fashion director Roopal Patel (who was on several street style best-dressed roundups of the week), Mary Leest, and Jessica Wang. Though it’s been a whirlwind few weeks for fashion folk, the night was perfectly cozy and relaxed and allowed everyone to debut some fabulous fall footwear—on almost every body in the room was a pair of Stuart Weitzman boots. The night was billed as a celebration of boots and bubbly, after all.
Guests took turns posing for photos down L’Avenue’s photogenic staircase and among Le Chalet’s banquets before taking their seats at a beautifully dressed table with an all-white floral theme. After settling in, Stuart Weitzman’s CMO Kaisy Mae O’Reilly (in superb suede over-the-knee boots) rose to greet her guests. Looking around the room is like a masterclass of “all the ways to wear boots this fall,” she joked before turning to welcome the night’s guest of honor, Rae. “She’s a visionary and a trailblazer, and she’s redefining the storytelling in this modern world. With the work that she does, she’s giving a voice to the expression of the diverse experiences of her community—that is just so profound and powerful we support her purpose,” she added before welcoming a surprise treat that no one knew was coming: A performance by Amber Mark.