“Laura Brown brings women together,” says Kat Graham, the actress. That was evident last Thursday night when Ms. Brown, the former editor-in-chief of InStyle, gathered her favorite friends and associates for dinner with Nordstrom to celebrate International Women’s Month.
Mrs. Brown’s laugh — loud and performative, but not insincere — could be heard on the 62nd floor of 70 Pine Street, in the private rooms of the Saga restaurant in lower Manhattan, as she hugged every guest who crossed the threshold. It’s an unabashed laugh, whether she’s talking to Hollywood stars, fashion arbitrators, or her friends.
“I’m having a great time,” said Ms. Brown, who wore a black Khaite jumpsuit (by designer Catherine Holstein, who was in attendance) and sparkly Loeffler Randall heels. “We’re here because it’s Women’s History Month, which makes me laugh because what, we can’t have a year?”
At this stage of the pandemic, with the lifting of mask restrictions still fresh, partygoers had to draw a line. “I think tonight is about being in a room without a mask on and starting to see a little bit of sunshine,” said Cindi Leive, the activist and former Glamor editor. But, she added: “I don’t think you want poison about anti-abortion laws, anti-trans laws, voter suppression and the rollback of life as we know it. I’m here for the sun, I swear.”
There was also the inconvenient fact that Ms. Brown left InStyle in February, a day after the magazine’s owner, Dotdash Meredith, announced it was going digital, another blow to an already decimated fashion magazine industry.
“They still matter, they do,” Rickie De Sole, a former Vogue editor, who is now fashion and editorial director for Nordstrom, told print magazines.
The end of the print version of InStyle made others feel nostalgic. “I used to get on planes and buy a stack of magazines,” says Helena Christensen, the old model. What will she bring now? “I watch movies,” she said.
As the guests took their seats, Mrs. Brown moved from table to table, taking selfies and making introductions. Her laugh seemed contagious as guests mingled and networked. Julia von Boehm, a stylist, chatted with Ms. Holstein and got a Khaite dress for her client, Laura Dern. Ms. Holstein also gave a reporter a first: She hopes to open a store in lower Manhattan.
While the guests ate tenderloin and sea bass, Sherrie Westin, the president of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind “Sesame Street,” stood up and made a toast to Ms. Brown. “Everyone here knows what a special connector she is,” Mrs. Westin said, before saying something they probably didn’t know. When US troops withdrew from Afghanistan last year, Ms. Brown at the evacuation of Afghan workers who had worked on the local version of “Sesame Street”: “Without Laura’s connections, 28 people would not have been rescued,” Ms Westin said.
Ms. Brown thanked Ms. Westin and everyone in attendance profusely before returning to form. “Anyway, back to your drink,” she said.