Red Wine Flowed at Markarian and Marlo Laz’s Fashionable, Intimate Dinner at Restaurant Allard in Paris

Markarian's Alexandra O'Neil and Marlo Laz's Jesse Lazowski.Jacques Burga

There are fashion dinners—or, events thrown by brands from a select group of notables and VIPs. And there are fashionable dinners—or, dinners with sure, a curated crowd, but also fantastic food at a restaurant you never really want to leave.

On Friday night in Paris, Markarian and Marlo Laz somehow managed to do both. The invitation asks attendees to arrive at Restaurant Allard, one of the most beloved bistros in Paris, at 9 pm. They did. However, no one actually sat down until 10 pm, instead opting to mill around outside and take in unseasonably warm weather upon Rue Saint André des Arts or indulge in some Paris Fashion Week gossiping amid the moody red-floral wallpaper and dark wood paneling inside.

But when they did, classic gourmet French food by Alain Ducasse awaited: foie gras for starters, then his famous duck with green olives. Guests from Ellen Von Unwerth to Gigi Burris to Cait Bailey enjoyed it all, many of them wearing Markarian’s signature romantic dresses and Marlo Laz’s wanderlust-inspired necklaces.

The stylish co-founders of each, Alexandra O’Neill and Jesse Marlo Lazowski, held court at long white cloth tables dotted with simple yet elegant flower arrangements and Allard’s signature red-rim plates. The conversation—and wine—flowed so effortlessly that the intimate affair went on until past 12 am, when the restaurant’s staff (kindly) asked everyone to leave. So then, the well-dressed patrons wandered out into Saint Germain to enjoy one of the few things better than an excellent meal amid excellent company: Midnight in Paris.