Hari Nef Wore Archival Marc Jacobs for Her 29th Birthday Party

On October 21, Hari Nef went to church. That is, her version of it—the actress and model held her 29th birthday party at Chapel Bar, a newly opened members-only club in Manhattan. Beneath a wheel-shaped, glittering chandelier affixed to wooden beams on the peaked ceiling stretching to the heavens, a crew of Nef’s closest friends—including Rowan Blanchard; Ella Emhoff; the DJ Harry Charlesworth, and the CEO of Chapel Bar, Fotografiska, and NeueHouse, Josh Wyatt—danced to dark house, awaiting the birthday girl’s arrival. Around 10:45 PM, she walked through the threshold, as the DJ shifted to City Girls’ “Act Up.” Wearing a netted minidress studded with rainbow-colored hearts and stars from Marc Jacobs’ spring 2017 collection, Nef threw her hands up and said, “Heeeeeey!” (Emhoff lifted her arms and raised the roof in response.) When asked what her birthday wish would be, Nef told me she hoped for “abundance and joy for my friends, my family, and also for myself.” That abundance has evidently come early, as the actress has plenty of projects in the pipeline: she’s currently shooting two projects “that are secret,” and writing a movie “that’s a secret, too,” she said. “There’s a lot of stuff I can’t talk about, but I’m going to be on a bunch of your favorite TV shows next season.”

As for the work she can discuss, Nef will be in the gamer girl comedy 1Up alongside Ruby Rose, which comes out next year. Also releasing in 2022, the indie film Simchas and Sorrows—in which Nef plays a rabbi. “To me, nightlife is devotional, and there is no better spot in Manhattan right now to have a spiritual experience on the dance floor,” Nef added, gesturing to the tabernacle where the bar was located. Nef’s friend Nash Glynn mimed the actress’ answers as she spoke. “We’re in a chapel, darling.”