Ah, yes, the aforementioned Charles Finch. The producer, former head of W.M.E.’s International Motion Picture division, and son of legendary actor Peter Finch—the first person to win a posthumous Oscar—has been hosting a dinner the Saturday before the Academy Awards for over thirty years. In 2020, Finch told the Los Angeles Times it started simply because he just wanted to see all his friends (which included names like Al Pacino and Bill Murray) who came into town for the awards show. “It became this wild night at Mr. Chow’s, and after we destroyed the place, Michael Chow said, ‘That’s one too many. Next time you can either pay or find someone else to do it,’” Finch told the paper. Suffice to say, he did: in 2009, Chanel officially began co-hosting the evening alongside him. At first, they did so at Italian restaurant Madeo in West Hollywood. In 2019, they moved to the Polo Lounge. Yet despite the addition of a high-fashion sponsor, an expanded guest list, and a red carpet, Finch likes to keep the whole affair true to its relaxed roots. That includes introducing himself to every guest that walks in.

White-jacket waiters passing trays of tuna tartar, margaritas, and pigs in a blanket push through the Chanel-clad crowd, which includes Minnie Driver, Jessie Buckley, Sigourney Weaver (in a fabulous trench) and Meg Ryan. A radiant Nicole Kidman is there, as are two of her daughters, Faith and Sunday Rose. In fact there’s a lot of families here: Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, and their daughter Maude, for example. Or J.J. Abrams and his daughter, musician Gracie Abrams. Meanwhile, Love Story’s Paul Anthony Kelly brought his mother. (I know this because I accidentally bumped into him trying to get out of his shot. “You’re okay!” He says cheerfully. “I’m tall!” Then he introduced his mom to the photographer.)

His co-star and Chanel ambassador Sarah Pidgeon is there. She traded Carolyn Besette Kennedy’s signature nineties minimalism for a pale mint embroidered silk dress (fashion fanatics might recognize it as look 25 from the Chanel Métiers d’art collection) paired beachy waves, and an oh-so-California tan. Instead, the spirit of C.B.K. lived on in Lauren Santo Domingo, who lit a cigarette in black just a few feet away.

At 8:30 on the dot, Finch gave a brief toast to welcome everyone and announce that dinner was ready to begin. A mere minute or two after he concluded his remarks, Teyana Taylor strode in, sunglasses on and wearing a fantastical multi-colored coat from Blazy’s fall 2026 collection despite the unusually warm evening. For a final time that night I ducked out of a shot, and enjoyed watching the very embodiment of being fashionably late.