Amanda Seyfried, Lourdes Leon, and More Kicked Off NYFW With an Intimate Dinner at L’Avenue at Saks

To kick off New York Fashion Week, Saks Fifth Avenue hosted an intimate—but star-studded—dinner at its sceney midtown restaurant, L’Avenue. Hosted by CEO Marc Metrick and actor Amanda Seyfried, the evening began with cocktails downstairs in its ski chalet-inspired space; then, guests made their way upstairs (Champagne in tow) for dinner, where celebrities like Lourdes Leon and Nicky Hilton Rothschild mingled with designers such as Christopher John Rogers, Joseph Altuzarra, and more.

The restaurant’s dining space was transformed to reflect the retailer’s recent spring 2022 campaign, including acrylic tabletops, moody candles, and, yes, a show-stopping Champagne tower (a fashion week must). Dinner included yellowtail carpaccio, roasted black god with market vegetables, and sorbet for dessert. The white and red wine, unsurprisingly, flowed.

Photo: Neil Rasmus/BFA.com

Many guests in attendance agreed that the kickoff event proved that the New York fashion scene is back in action. “Somebody rude told me that New York Fashion Week was going to be a dud this year,” Leon told Vogue, “and I just know that they didn t know what they were talking about, because clearly, it’s not. New York slays, and it will always slay.”

Below, more photos from the glamorous evening.