“Thank you guys so much for coming; I know you have so many other things to do!” said Issa Rae to a room full of fashion editors, content-makers, and executives. “And I heard Beyoncé was at the other event!” she added in a joke. Her intel was good—seated across from her at last night’s dinner at L’Avenue at Saks’s downstairs portion, Le Chalet, was Sergio Hudson, who had dressed Beyoncé in a butter-yellow look for Glamour’s Women of the Year. Nonetheless, there was nowhere else the room wanted to be, especially since we were toasting with Rae’s Viarae Prosecco. “It’s very cruel to have me do this speech at the end of the night when y’all give us unlimited wine!” she added while clutching a glass of her bubbly. The artful placement was a reminder that Rae is a Renaissance woman, and that is exactly what Stuart Weitzman had hoped to celebrate—in Rae but in all women—in their latest campaign, “How Lovely to Be a Woman.”
At 7:00 p.m., a buzzy group that included Bethann Hardison, Quil Lemons, and Richie Shazam was welcomed to the Le Chalet by Vogue’s own senior fashion editor, Naomi Elizée, who served as party co-host. At first glance, guests may not have noticed the Stuart Weitzman imagery pinned to the walls of the downstairs portion of L’Avenue (Le Chalet), but it was a touch that fit in perfectly with the space’s Alpine cabin feel. Many in the room were fresh from Paris, including Saks’ fashion director Roopal Patel (who was on several street style best-dressed roundups of the week), Mary Leest, and Jessica Wang. Though it’s been a whirlwind few weeks for fashion folk, the night was perfectly cozy and relaxed and allowed everyone to debut some fabulous fall footwear—on almost every body in the room was a pair of Stuart Weitzman boots. The night was billed as a celebration of boots and bubbly, after all.
Guests took turns posing for photos down L’Avenue’s photogenic staircase and among Le Chalet’s banquets before taking their seats at a beautifully dressed table with an all-white floral theme. After settling in, Stuart Weitzman’s CMO Kaisy Mae O’Reilly (in superb suede over-the-knee boots) rose to greet her guests. Looking around the room is like a masterclass of “all the ways to wear boots this fall,” she joked before turning to welcome the night’s guest of honor, Rae. “She’s a visionary and a trailblazer, and she’s redefining the storytelling in this modern world. With the work that she does, she’s giving a voice to the expression of the diverse experiences of her community—that is just so profound and powerful we support her purpose,” she added before welcoming a surprise treat that no one knew was coming: A performance by Amber Mark.
The adorable Mark, the soulful, Tennessee-born R&B singer, started her set off with a very fitting cover of Ann-Margret’s “How Lovely to Be a Woman,” before shifting into her own tunes like “Bliss” and “Waiting.” “You’re such a great audience,” Mark said, in between songs, to a fully engaged room that was either bopping, swaying, capturing content, or all three.
Mark’s performance was followed by dinner service, which was followed by a heartfelt welcome by Elizée. “Stuart Weitzman’s latest campaign truly embodies what the dynamic nature of a woman means. And I immediately think about my mother. She was a Haitian woman who forged such a major path; she held the title of mother, daughter, aunt, professor, and director of nursing. A woman who worked on the weekends to make ends meet. She was a woman that inspired me so much, and I truly don’t know how she did it all and still managed to send me Candy Crush requests on the weekend,” said Elizée of her late mother, moving the room with her emotional remarks.
The night felt like its little women of the year event, with so much heart and celebration of all that women can do. Rae herself joined in. Though it had been a long day for her (she had spent the morning on set in Upstate New York shooting the Spring 2025 footwear and eyewear campaign for Stuart Weitzman—the accessory brands’ first-ever sunglass collection!), she turned up enthusiastic and ready to sing the praises of other women. Speaking to Vogue, Rae teased an upcoming Keke Palmer and SZA film. “They’re an amazing, hilarious duo. It’s like a female buddy comedy, and it’s coming out in January, but you’ll be seeing more about it soon!” Rae added that she’s producing the film under her brilliantly-titled production company, Hoorae. Renaissance woman indeed.
