At the storied Vanity Fair Oscar Party, as Frank DiGiacomo noted in 2013, “there is no VIP section.” That’s probably what has made the event so alluring, so enviable, and so utterly unbelievable for the past three decades and counting: It’s a single room filled with some of the world’s most notable people, a common denominator for the least common congregation there is.
tête-à-tête with Sarah Paulson, John McEnroe photobombing Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, and a victorious Will Smith rapping along to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” on the dance floor just hours after slapping Chris Rock. The biggest names from every industry you can imagine, mixing under the same roof—for one night only.
Before the striped carpet is rolled out for the iconic fête, VF invites you to relive the excitement with these photographs from Vanity Fair Oscar parties past—including outtakes from our photo booth, the Mark Seliger portrait studio, and other intimate glimpses at both Oscar winners and the company they keep.
The ’90s
In 1993, power literary-and-talent agent Irving “Swifty” Lazar—known for holding an exclusive yearly Oscar-viewing dinner and after-party—died at the age of 86. Lazar’s annual soiree had been a staple of Old Hollywood, drawing in society figures and working actors since 1964. So Graydon Carter and producer Steve Tisch decided to step into the ring, cohosting the first VF Oscar Party together in 1994. The event was relatively modest that year, and began with an 100-person dinner held at Mortons steak house on Melrose (the lot now occupied by Cecconi’s) that featured Lee Radziwill, Nancy Reagan, Oliver Stone, Gore Vidal, Gene Hackman, Donald Sutherland, Barry Diller, and Diane von Furstenberg among its seated guests. A hundred more famous figures arrived after the Oscars ceremony, including Robert De Niro, Prince, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Liam Neeson, and Natasha Richardson. As the decade continued, the event grew—in 1999, an architect even had to temporarily expand Mortons in order to fit the overflow—and cemented itself as the premiere destination for actors to let loose on Oscar night.
The 2000s
As the business of Hollywood changed, so did the VF Oscar Party. Contracts with fashion houses and luxury conglomerates became de rigueur for actors, elevating the stakes and dress code for Tinseltown in general. And as the Academy Awards themselves were challenged by other ascendent red carpets, the VF party evolved into a crucial opportunity for publicity. Twenty photographers lined the carpet in 1994; during the 2000s, that number grew to nearly 50. In 2009, the party moved to the Sunset Tower Hotel, an Art Deco landmark, to make room for a grander press line and to offer guests a new setting with panoramic views of the city.
The 2010s
Over the 2010s the party was held in three different locations: the Sunset Tower Hotel, the Sunset Strip, and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills—where it currently resides in a built-from-scratch complex of velvet-clad bars and inviting dance floors. Although storming the door hasn’t gotten any easier, the party has continued to grow: It now shuts down an entire street on Oscar night, and includes both an outdoor garden and a lounge (normally the front yard of City Hall), as well as photo booths for guests’ mementos and proof of admission. The Mark Seliger portrait studio started in 2014, capturing notable guests in quiet moments of celebration and reflection. As the first of its kind, Seliger’s speedy rapport with these megawatt stars has gone on to inspire countless imitations at major fêtes across the world. In 2018, VF editor in chief Radhika Jones became the host of the party, leading the way into our next decade of celebration.
If you’ve made it this far, consider yourself a true VF Oscar Party historian. Make sure to check back on Oscar night, immediately following the telecast, for all the after-party coverage—from portraits to party pics and a red-carpet livestream, as well as more surprises.
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