It was a homecoming of kinds for Ulla Johnson.
The New York-based designer was again in Los Angeles, the place she lived for a number of years when she first began her model.
“I’ve a particular place in my coronary heart for L.A.,” she mentioned.
It’s the place she selected to open her new flagship, a 3,000-square-foot, residential-feeling Kelly Wearstler-designed retailer on Beverly Boulevard, after making a mark in Manhattan and Amagansett, N.Y. Naturally, the brand new house — with its again parking zone reworked into an out of doors backyard for the event — served as the proper setting for a celebratory dinner Thursday night time.
“I didn’t know the best way to drive. I failed my driver take a look at,” Johnson laughed, reminiscing. “I did adore it, and ever since then I’ve had a bit of L.A. in my coronary heart. It was a very long time coming to open our house right here. We actually see it as a house.”
She gathered longtime associates of the model, actresses and their respective stylists — Gabrielle Union and Cynthia Erivo with Jason Bolden; Dakota Fanning with Samantha McMillen; Rachel Bilson with Nicole Chavez, and Melanie Lynskey with Misha Rudolph, all wearing Johnson’s color- and print-filled designs.
Cynthia Erivo, Gabrielle Union, Ulla Johnson and Dakota Fanning.
Courtesy of Ulla Johnson/Virisa Yong
Dinner was ready by L.A. chef Courtney Storer, the culinary director of FX’s “The Bear” (and sister of sequence creator Chris Storer). Friends have been served a colourful beet salad, sea bass and a ardour fruit pavlova. The desk, too, was shiny and vivid, wearing unique flowers and fruits amid candlelight. Acquainted oldies by Phil Phillips and Elvis Presley performed within the background within the open air.
Ukrainian artist Yelena Yemchuk, married to “The Bear” actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach, was among the many bunch, as have been actresses Gillian Jacobs, Lily Rabe, Jessica Williams, Nia Jervier and April Hughes; stylists Kate Foley, Erin Walsh, Brit and Kara Smith; UTA’s Dan Constable and colleague Zuzanna Ciolek, director of the UTA Artist Area; producer Julie Darmody, and Academy Museum of Movement Footage director and president Jacqueline Stewart.
Ulla Johnson
Courtesy of Ulla Johnson/Virisa Yong
The ladies caught up, chitchatting about life in L.A., their youngsters, colleges, nation golf equipment and neighborhood hangouts — as they proceed to be impacted by the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Because the night time was ending, a number of found it was Jacobs’ birthday.
“Comfortable birthday,” they exclaimed.
“Would you want us to interrupt out in tune?” smiled Bilson.
Samantha McMillen, Dakota Fanning, Ulla Johnson, Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez.
Courtesy of Ulla Johnson/Virisa Yong
