Where can you find an Oscar-winning actress chatting up one of the worldโs biggest pop stars?
Well, during Oscars week in Los Angeles, thatโs pretty much anywhere โ but thereโs no place quite like Diane von Furstenbergโs annual luncheon celebrating the yearโs female Oscar nominees.
This yearโs garden party was particularly star-studded, with the likes of โMarty Supremeโ star Gwyneth Paltrow (the aforementioned Oscar winner) catching up with Katy Perry, only to be interrupted by producer and philanthropist Nicole Avant Sarandos, then Demi Moore and finally Tracee Ellis Ross. Within minutes โ and with the addition of posh jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer to the huddle โ some of the industryโs most high-profile entertainers and entrepreneurs had assembled on the well-manicured lawn.
Oh, and while this A-list group caught up with one another, von Furstenberg stood just around the corner posing with legendary actress and activist Jane Fonda.
A lineup of talent like this โ plus Anita Hill, Quinta Brunson, Tig Notaro, Fran Drescher, Lisa Ann Walter, Grace van Patten, Sabrina Impacciatore, Rachel Zoe, Elaine Welteroth, Rita Wilson, Diane Warren, Luna Blaise, Maggie Baird, Rozzi and โSinnersโ Oscar nominees Ruth E. Carter and Autumn Durald Arkapaw โ really gives new meaning to the term โpower lunch.โ
For the last 13 years, von Furstenberg has hosted the celebration at her Beverly Hills mansion. This year, she noted, all of the nominees got a gold sticker upon arrival to wear as a badge of honor. It was a last-minute idea, but a key one.
โItโs very important that you know who everybody is, because then you make new friends,โ von Furstenberg said, taking the microphone as the crowd sat down for lunch, curated by chef Jane Coxwell. โYou are all in the same industry, an industry that is not necessarily pro-women.โ
That reality makes events like this one particularly key, the fashion designer explained, with Fonda โ wearing her new signature โResistโ t-shirt โ seated at her right hand. (Fonda was a co-host at this yearโs luncheon alongside Moore, Avant Sarandos and Ross, and an audience with her was equally as coveted as a selfie with fellow attendee Paris Hilton.)
โ[I thought] being kind was always being stupid, but lately I discovered the power of [it],โ she said. โKindness is like a currency, and it compounds like money.โ
And women are uniquely positioned to make that currency count.
โWomen always have the solutions, but women always have the power of seduction. And seduction is not only about showing your legs โ although if you have good ones, you can,โ von Furstenberg quipped, as the crowd chuckled. โIt is about making other people believe that your ideas and your solutions are theirs. And right now, we have to use all the tools,โ she continued. โBecause right now is a time that we need strength, we need belief, we need values, and the best way to pass on the message is by kindness.โ
Scroll below for an inside look at the star-studded event.
ย
-
Katy Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross and Demi Moore

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF Katy Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross and Demi Moore smile for photos inside the luncheon.
-
Katy Perry, Nicole Avant Sarandos and Gwyneth Paltrow

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF Nicole Avant Sarandos flanked by Katy Perry and Gwyneth Paltrow.
-
Odessa Rae, Rita Wilson, Jane Fonda and Diane von Furstenberg

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF Diane von Furstenberg (right) poses with Odessa Rae, Rita Wilson, and Jane Fonda.
-
Anita Hill and Quinta Brunson

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF โAbbott Elementaryโ and โZootopia 2โ star Quinta Brunson (right) smiles for a photo with Anita Hill.
-
Tracee Ellis Ross and Jennifer Meyer

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF Tracee Ellis Ross pals around with Jennifer Meyer.
-
Fran Drescher and Lisa Ann Walter

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF Fran Drescher and Lisa Ann Walter.
-
Li Jun Li, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Ruth E. Carter, Hannah Beachler, Shunika Terry-Jennings and Monique Champagne

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF Team โSinnersโ โ Li Jun Li, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Ruth E. Carter, Hannah Beachler, Shunika Terry-Jennings and Monique Champagne โ assembles inside the luncheon.
-
Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF โSinnersโ cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw signs the poster-sized guest book at the event.
-
Rozzi and Grace Van Patten

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF Rozzi and Grace Van Patten pose for a photo.
-
adeline Sharafian, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Paris Hilton, Domee Shi and Diane Warren

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF Paris Hilton (center) takes a selfie with Madeline Sharafian (โElioโ), Gwendolyn Yates Whittle (โF1,โ โAvatar: Fire and Ashโ), Domee Shi (โElioโ) and Diane Warren (โDiane Warren: Relentlessโ).
-
Sasha Alexander and Rachel Zoe

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF Sasha Alexander and Rachel Zoe are a cool crew.
-
Mary Alice Drumm, Yvett Merino, Maggie Kang, Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian and Michelle Wong

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF Mary Alice Drumm (โElioโ), Yvett Merino (โZootopia 2โ), Maggie Kang (โKPop Demon Huntersโ), Domee Shi (โElioโ), Madeline Sharafian (โElioโ) and Michelle Wong (โKPop Demon Huntersโ) โ the women behind some of this yearโs biggest animated movies โ gather at the event.
-
Geeta Gandbhir

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF โThe Perfect Neighborโ filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir signs in upon arrival.ย
-
Arden Cho, Hannah McMechan and Danya Jimenez

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF โKPop Demon Huntersโ star Arden Cho poses with screenwriters Hannah McMechan and Danya Jimenez.
-
Alisa Payne, Sara Khaki, Christalyn Hampton, Yvett Merino, Geeta Gandbhir and Liza Marshall

Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for DVF Alisa Payne (โThe Perfect Neighborโ), Sara Khaki (โCutting Through Rocksโ), Christalyn Hampton (โThe Devil is Busyโ), Yvett Merino (โZootopia 2โ), Geeta Gandbhir (โThe Perfect Neighborโ) and Liza Marshall (โHamnetโ) pose for a group photo.
-
Elaine Welteroth and Alice Smith

Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for DVF Elaine Welteroth smiles for a photo with โSinnersโ singer-songwriter Alice Smith.