The night before hosting her traditional power-hour for the female nominees of the Academy Awards, Diane von Furstenberg had a brain wave: these need-to-know stars needed stars. A quick trip to the craft store saved the day. “Next year, we’ll have something better,” the Belgian designer promised the crowd. In the interim, the sweet little gold stickers visible on printed wrap dresses did the trick.
As guests arrived at Trousdale Estates—the doyenne’s lush oasis in Beverly Hills—the first thing on the agenda was clear. A small queue had formed, as nominees dutifully accepted Sharpies and signed their autograph on a large-scale scroll that listed the 76 women recognized for their work this year.
Since 2014, von Furstenberg has carved out a moment on the awards circuit social calendar to raise a glass not just to filmmakers and actresses, but the producers, makeup and hair artists, costume designers, casting agents, sound engineers, set designers, and special effects pros that are rightfully getting their flowers. “Connection is everything,” Von Furstenberg told Vogue, while basking in the sun. “What could be nicer than this?”
Case in point: the leisurely al fresco afternoon unfolded as guests sat at picnic tables with an intentionally open seating plan. “I try every morning to make a miracle happen by introducing one person to someone who could change their life. All you need to do is write a thoughtful text or email, and make that introduction. By making these miracles, you breathe kindness,” von Furstenberg said during her remarks.
On co-hosting duty were a leopard print coat-clad Jane “Badass” Fonda—to borrow from DVF’s introduction— Demi Moore, Nicole Avant Sarandos, and Tracee Ellis Ross, whom DVF has known since she was a kid. “Diane’s kindness extends so far beyond days like today,” Ellis Ross told Vogue. “I’m so happy to be here celebrating women. My three favorite pictures this year—Hamnet, I’m Sorry Baby, and Sentimental Values—all had women front and center. They may not all have been made by women, but they’re about women. And these are just the kind of stories I’m always drawn to.”
In the center of the gathering, a delectable spread prepared by von Furstenberg’s longtime chef Jane Coxwell awaited. “I met Jane when I was having trouble swallowing [post-cancer]. She created these delicious organic vegetable blends that I could comfortably eat, and now her brand, OKO, is about to launch in Erewhon,” DVF proudly announced as everyone tucked in. Giving people something to add to their next grocery store list, many of the dishes—like za’atar salmon and green tabouli with chicken, tomato and radish salad—featured the carrot turmeric flavor of OKO. The buffet-style setup went down a treat. “Look! There’s actual bread,” exclaimed actress Lisa Ann Walter as she linked arm-in-arm with Fran Drescher.
Over iced lattes infused with rose syrup and glasses of wine, everyone listened intently to von Furstenberg’s pearls of wisdom. “As women, we know about two things. We know about solutions, and we know about seduction. I don’t mean showing your legs—it’s about making other people believe in your ideas,” she said.
While there was no shortage of star power and badasses in the parameter, DVF paused to turn the spotlight on Anita Hill—the prolific lawyer who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 and accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in a watershed moment for women everywhere. “Anita went on TV and in front of the senate and talked about penises. You’ve got to be brave to do that,” the designer said, prompting a standing ovation from everyone in the garden.
