Listicle: 10 elite red-carpet events we want to attend
The Vanity Fair Oscar After Party. Ok, the Oscars are handed out. The speech tears dry. Then, the corsets are loosened, and everyone starts to chill. Designers dress celebs in more comfy looks for this post-awards A-list meet-and-greet. Margot Robbie has worn vintage Versace; Kendall Jenner has worn sheer archival looks that would never survive the main carpet. The real party doesn’t happen at 5pm; it happens at 9pm.
Heidi Klum’s Halloween Party. Klum is German. When she realised that the American summer and year-end party calendar was already full, she just picked Halloween and built a party around it. It’s fashion’s most unhinged costume event: Full-body prosthetics, body paint, total transformations. This year Kourtney Kardashian Barker went as the Bride of Frankenstein. Lizzo went as a mozzarella stick, oozing cheese dress and all. It reminds us that celebrities can be weird and funny too.
British Museum Ball. London’s new power move. Launched in October 2025, it subtly challenges the Met Gala’s monopoly on museum glamour, with fashion insiders, cultural patrons, designers and artists on the guest list. The ball was held alongside the museum’s Ancient India exhibition, with guests’ outfits showing archival references and intelligent tailoring. Co-chair Isha Ambani wore a blush-pink satin jacket and column skirt, Naomi Campbell turned up in a pink Union flag dress. It’s not about who wore what. It’s about why.
The BoF 500 Gala. The insider party that insiders get kicked about. Held during Paris Fashion Week, Business of Fashion honours 500 people shaping the industry. They choose from 40 countries: Designers, editors, founders, creatives, new businesses. Last year Ishaan Khatter turned up in a midnight velvet tux, while Jameela Jamil arrived in a grey column gown. This is the room where ideas circulate before they become trends; where introductions turn into collabs.
Albie Awards. It’s held in London by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (as in George Clooney) and named after Judge Albie Sachs, a South African anti-apartheid lawyer who helped draft the nation’s constitution. The event raises money for free legal aid worldwide. At the 2025 Albies, Amal Clooney wore a sculptural chocolate Atelier Versace gown, while Meryl Streep was in black trousers and a bead-worked top. No influencers. No spectacle. Here, celebrity is leveraged, and justice is the point.
Michael Rubin’s White Party. The most sought after Fourth of July party is held at businessman Michael Rubin’s Hamptons mansion. Celebs fly in from around the world, everyone wears white. The vibe is glam, but chill. Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox are regulars. No connection to the all-white parties that Diddy threw. But the association persisted, and Rubin has stopped hosting his because… white stains so easily.
CFDA Awards. This is what it looks like when the fashion folks geek out. The awards are held in NYC, and the night honours the business and clout of American fashion as much as its creativity. Celebrities arrive knowing the room is full of critics. There’s no theme, no costumery. It’s where Rihanna redefined maternity dressing and ASAP Rocky blurred the rules of menswear.
Serpentine Gallery Summer Party. The British Fashion Council hosts this fundraiser for the gallery. Designers, artists, film stars, and editors turn out in summer-ready chic. There’s no theme, so the fashion feels spontaneous, personal, even a little experimental – exactly what London style is about. Cate Blanchett once wore a seashell-embellished corset and mermaid-style skirt, while Sonam Kapoor Ahuja showed up in a gold kimono-inspired Dior jacket and sleek leather pants.
Le Bal des Débutantes. This is Paris society at its most choreographed. Twenty-five young women, from elite families worldwide, are invited to formally mark their entrance into high society. Each debutante wears haute couture and waltzes down a grand staircase to a black-tie dinner. Ananya Panday and Shanaya Kapoor have debuted here. So has Apple Martin, daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin.
All That Glitters Diwali Ball. If you’re Brown in New York, this is the ticket. Talent strategist Anjula Acharia’s invite-only, black-tie event in NYC also fundraises for various charities. It brings together South Asian power across film, fashion, and business. The guest list has included everyone from Priyanka Chopra Jonas to Prabal Gurung. Dress maximal. If the Met Gala had an Indian cousin, this would be it.
From HT Brunch, January 17, 2026
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