When Michael Kors was a mere 14 years old, he recalls visiting his grandparents in Los Angeles and driving down Rodeo Drive. It was the height of the ’80s, and he thought, “My god, this is like a Jackie Collins book!” Even as a born-and-raised New Yorker, he was transfixed. Fast-forward 30 years later, and the designer opened his first store on that very street in Beverly Hills. While the pandemic forced a closure, Kors triumphantly returned in late April with shiny 1,500-square-foot boutique.
Naturally, he celebrated being back on the West Coast by bringing two of its culinary staples, Spago and Canter’s Deli, together for a one-night-only special of high and low, complete with Jidori chicken, pastrami sandwiches, and lots of martinis. “This is hot dogs and evening gowns!” Kors joked to his dinner guests, including Olivia Wilde, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, and Shailene Woodley. “Thank you to all the women in the room for bringing my work to life, because without you, it’s all bullshit.”
Michael Kors gives a toast.
After salads and main courses were served with off-menu deli sides (“I ordered the matzoh ball soup,” Zoey Deutch said, proudly), everyone filed into the legendary Kibitz Room for dessert. Against the backdrop of disco beats by Kitty Ca$h, which Marisa Tomei happily danced along to, there was an impressive spread of sweet treats on display—perhaps most notably the requisite black-and-white cookie, emblazoned with “MKC” of course.
Claire Stern Milch is the Digital Director of ELLE.com. Previously, she was Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn’t ashamed to admit it.