Inside W’s Intimate Dinner Celebrating The 2021 Originals Issue

Anyone walking down Manhattan's West 65th Street around 7:30 last night would have encountered an extraordinarily stylish crowd gathering outside of Shun Lee West, the iconic dim sum restaurant known for its fabulously ’80s decor. This crew, a cross section of the fashion, art, music and film worlds, weren’t angling for a reservation or stepping away from their lo mein for some fresh air, but rather waiting for the results of their rapid Covid tests—a prerequisite for entry into W’s celebration for The Originals Issue. Luckily, there were trays of chilled Tanqueray gin martinis being passed around to make those 10 minutes go by a little more quickly.

Inside, the party hosted by W editor in chief Sara Moonves (wearing a red velvet Gucci suit), Karlie Kloss (in sequined Prada) and Lewis Hamilton (in an inventive Alexander McQueen coat) was an intimate, festive affair. Like any issue of the magazine, it was a gathering of true originals.

Lorde arrived in a major gold breastplate dress from Loewe’s Spring 2022 collection, and chatted over dumplings and egg rolls with Emily Ratajkowski, who looked ethereal in a white Bevza sheath with cape-like sleeves, and W contributor Renell Medrano, who coordinated her all-black ensemble with her boyfriend, A$AP Ferg. The New York fashion world showed up in full force: Anna Wintour was one of the first guests to arrive, in crisp nautical Chanel, and designers Ashley Olsen, Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, Emily Bode and Tory Burch mingled with photographers Theo Wenner, Pamela Hanson and Inez and Vinoodh. Edvin Thompson, whose latest Theophilio show was a NYFW favorite, pulled a red rose from one of the floral arrangements and posed with it against his fetching lime green jacket.

Also in the mix: actresses Rachel Brosnahan, Kristine Froseth and Talia Ryder, artists Dan Colen, Lexie Smith, and Olympia Scarry, and the model and journalist Hailey Gates. Rather than a formal seating arrangement, guests sat themselves across a grid of long tables, switching it up between family-style boxes of fried rice, tangerine chicken and shrimp tempura and clinking cocktail glasses as Moonves toasted the crowd.

At the end of the night, everyone left with a copy of the latest issue of W, featuring cover star Dolly Parton, a bottle of one of Carolina Herrera’s elegant new fragrances, Very Good Girl and Bad Boy, and a miniature cheesecake tart from Carissa’s (a perfect late night treat to cap off a fabulous evening).

Special thanks to our sponsors: Carolina Herrera Very Good Girl Eau de Parfum and Bad Boy Le Parfum, premium cocktails by Tanqueray, and desserts from Carissa’s the Bakery.