A Haute Invite: Inside the Exclusive Grand Dîner du Louvre

Anya Taylor-Joy, Alex ConsaniPhoto by: German Larkin

For a museum that has everything, the Louvre still manages to surprise. There are some evenings in Paris that remind people why they moved there, or booked a flight, in the first place—and the first Tuesday night in March is fast becoming one of them. Nearly 300 guests—philanthropists, fashion execs, royals, and stars—made their way through the storied institution’s corridors after dark, led deeper and deeper into the breathtaking galleries. The occasion? The second edition of the Grand Dîner du Louvre; a Paris Fashion Week-adjacent fundraiser that has, in just one year, firmly established itself as one of the most covetable invitations on the calendar.

This year’s theme ‘Le Louvre, la nuit’—The Louvre, by night—was a suitably glamorous proposition. (To wander the halls in black tie with the space hushed and entirely yours is a thoroughly surreal experience.) To kick things off, the reception was held in the Daru Gallery, with the Winged Victory of Samothrace statue presiding over the cocktail gathering.

The guest list read like a board meeting of famous faces from fashion, culture, and entertainment—assembled by a casting director who had been working overtime. Anya Taylor-Joy was there, as was Diane Kruger (the bar for high cheekbones was set early and maintained.) Designers Christian Louboutin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Camille Miceli, and Iris Van Herpen, caught up with a model-heavy crowd that included Barbara Palvan, Alexa Chung, Alex Consani, Natasha Poly, Eva Herzigová, and Alton Mason, who all showed up in world-class style. The corporate contingent was strong, with leaders from the houses of Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, and Van Cleef Arpels, as well as Snapchat and Anthropic, and the Chalhoub Group. Mouna Ayoub, Krystyna Campbell-Pretty, and Lauren Amos were also among the evening’s patrons, as were Prince Amyn Aga Khan and Stephen and Christine Schwarzman.

An experiential dinner was, once again, the work of the accomplished Anne-Sophie Pic, who has been awarded the most Michelin stars of any female chef in history. And when the final toasts of Moët were made by midnight, the Louvre announced it had surpassed its fundraising target, with a staggering €1.6 million and counting, which will be dedicated to the preservation of the museum’s heritage. Visa Infinite, founding partner of the event, has committed to supporting the next three editions of the Grand Dîner too.

Meanwhile, to round out an impossibly romantic night in Paris, celebrated auteurs and brothers Michel and Olivier Gondry gifted the museum a film, Louvre-MoonLove, made specially for the occasion.