teyana taylor arrived among a star-studded crowd at the annual Chanel and Charles Finch pre-Oscars dinner at The Beverly Hills Hotel, a Saturday-night gathering that drew Hollywood names to the Polo Lounge. By 8: 30 p. m. ET the courtyard was jammed with guests, and the event moved inside for a seated dinner. Chanel and host Charles Finch staged the traditional warm-up to awards weekend to bring friends and nominees together in one high-fashion room.
Crowd and key moments
The courtyard outside the Polo Lounge filled quickly, with attendees ranging from nominees to longtime friends of the house. The effervescent presence of Jessie Buckley — identified as a Best Actress contender — set the tone on arrival, and by mid-evening the crowd included a mix of film and music figures. Jeff and Lauren Bezos were present, as were industry executives and actors drawn into the compact 150-seat restaurant later in the night. The gathering threaded fashion and fandom: at one point a crowd waited outside for Mick Jagger with posters in hand, while inside waiters circulated Champagne and small plates past Chanel-clad guests.
Teyana Taylor Turns Heads
Teyana Taylor caused a stir on the courtyard in thigh-high leather boots and a technicolor shearling coat that had debuted in Matthieu Blazy’s Paris outing five days earlier. The outfit closed the loop on viral runway attention and was immediately recognizable in the packed arrival area. Attendees noted a mixture of runway influence and personal styling throughout the evening, from periwinkle sequins to classic tweed sets; this dinner remains a runway-adjacent moment for many guests arriving from fashion shows and press circuits.
Immediate reactions from arrivals
Jessie Buckley, the Best Actress contender, arrived in high spirits and announced on arrival, “Let’s go baby, ” later adding, “Well, you can sleep when you’re dead!” Charles Finch, the producer and former head of WMA’s European motion picture division who hosts the evening, spoke candidly about personal pain while keeping the party on, saying, “I was writhing around on the floor in pain thinking, ‘What the f— am I doing, doing this party again? Am I crazy?’” Nicole Kidman, described as a longtime friend of the house, pointed out a personal touch in her embroidered skirt and jacket and declared, “I’m wearing my mama, ” as she gestured to the little ladybug details that held meaning for her. Other arrivals traded anecdotes about hikes and pool days as they posed for portraits and captured moments on personal phones.
Quick context and what happens next
Finch has hosted a pre-Academy Awards dinner for over 30 years, and Chanel officially began cohosting the evening in 2009, keeping the event intimate even as celebrity arrivals draw concentrated attention. With the courtyard full by 8: 30 p. m. ET and a seated dinner under way, guests shifted into a more private program inside the Polo Lounge, where the night’s conversation moved from red-carpet predictions to dinner tables and toasts.
As awards weekend unfolds, attendees will disperse to screenings, interviews, and the awards ceremonies themselves; the pre-Oscars dinner has again set the social tone for the days to come. The evening closed with the crowd swelling into the hotel and talk of nominees and fashion—teyana taylor among them—heading into the main weekend.
