Chanel’s Pre-Oscars Dinner: Then and Now

Saturday night before the Academy Awards usually means attending the Chanel and Charles Finch Pre-Oscar Dinner in Los Angeles. Regular attendees (and friends of the brand) including Margot Robbie, Penelope Cruz, Kristen Stewart, and Sofia Coppola typically join Hollywood heavyweights like Al Pacino, Pedro Almodóvar, and even newcomers like Taylor Russell and Kaitlyn Dever can be seen at the event, which has become a highlight of Oscars weekend since its inception in 2009. Last year, Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and many more crowded into the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills, giving air kisses at the cocktail party outside the dinner, where twinkling white lights were strung up around the trees and drinks were passed around on silver platters. It was February 2020, just on the cusp of the Covid-19 pandemic—and one year later, the celebrities are celebrating the dinner in new ways. On April 24, one day before the Oscars are scheduled to take place, Chanel sent boxes via white glove courier to its guests, allowing them to toast from home with martini kits and all the ingredients for build-your-own ice cream sundaes (including parfait glasses and napkins emblazoned with the Chanel “C’s”). Plus, the kits arrived with projectors and a selection of films for guests to screen at their leisure. This year, we’re taking a look back at some of the highlights from past pre-Oscars dinners—and pictures from the stars’ at-home toasts.