Iconic Moments from 95 Years of Glittering Galas at The Pierre

Karl Lagerfeld once said that he measured distances in New York by how far they were from the legendary Hotel Pierre (now 'The Pierre, a Taj Hotel'). For 95 years, that ballroom therein has been the epicenter of glamorous New York life. It was a haven first to New York blue-bloods, then old Hollywood celebrities and then the fashionable jet set. Under its chandeliers, everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Valentino danced the night away, or, at least, stood in the corner drinking martinis. As the New York Times once joked, “The ambiance might at first be intimidating to one who is not the King of Sweden or the Shah of Iran or a princess or Arab sheik or a lumber baron or a cosmetics heiress or Madonna or Joanne Carson, the divorced wife of Johnny Carson, or the Reagans, all of whom have or do occasionally stay here or live here.” 

The greatest part of the allure, however, has always been that any guest, or indeed, any New Yorker who might have wandered through the hotel’s doors, could find themselves partying among them.   

1930: Helen Hazard and Margaret Goddard, two of the wealthiest women in New York, gathered outside The Pierre shortly after it opened. 

1931: Coco Chanel perched at the Pierre on her first visit to New York in 1931. Decades later, the first Chanel Fashion show in America would be hosted at the hotel. 

1949: Eleanor Roosevelt was presented with the first American Award in Human Relations by the Bureau of Intellectual Education. It honored "her outstanding contribution to the cause of harmony among all men.”

1965: The leggy actress Ginger Rogers, so often paired with Fred Astaire, was the winner of the door prize at the 'Prestige Awards from France.’

1968: Dionne Warwick, dolled up for a party thrown for her by Scepter Records, celebrating her three gold albums, Here Where There is Love, Dionne Warwick’s Golden Hits and Valley of the Dolls.

1968: The winds of change swirl through the hallowed halls of The Pierre as President-elect Richard Nixon, flanked by a trio of foreign policy heavyweights, charts a new course for America.

1970: The Pierre's grand ballroom is transformed into a dazzling showcase of style as the crème de la crème of New York society gathers for the Valentino Fashion Party.

1970:  Barbra Streisand, resplendent in a lavish fur coat and her signature bouffant hairdo, is the picture of '70s glamour the night she accepts Cue Magazine's coveted ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award.

1971: British fashion sensation Twiggy, the face that launched a thousand pixie cuts, gives a twirl in her Pierre suite as she debuts the enchanting hooded velvet cloak she'll wear to the American premiere of her new film, The Boy Friend.

1972: First Lady Pat Nixon had designers bring their couture to her suite at The Pierre for her to try on.

1974: Two legends, Bianca Jagger and Lauren Bacall—wearing privacy-protecting sunglasses—sat side by side at Yves Saint Laurent’s Fashion Show. This was the first time he showed his haute couture in America.

1974: The statuesque actress Lois Chiles, the epitome of '70s sophistication, stands alongside fashion visionary Yves Saint Laurent at his first-ever U.S. showcase of his haute couture collection.

1974: American socialite and style icon Lee Radziwill, exuding her signature blend of elegance and charm, mingles with the legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein at the Richard Rogers Awards Dinner.

1975: Automotive innovator John Delorean, the man behind the iconic gull-winged car, escorts the stunning model-turned-actress Cristine Ferrare into The Balloon Ball.

1976: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who is pictured in The Pierre rotunda mural, attended a fashion show for Valentino.

1976: Natalie Wood and husband Robert Wagner, looking glamorous in a limousine, about to enter the hotel.

1976: Doris Day, America's eternal sweetheart, attends an event on the arm of husband Barry Comden, her megawatt smile lighting up the room.

1976: Rising stars John Cazale and Meryl Streep, on the cusp of legendary careers, celebrate acting luminary Lee Strasberg's 75th birthday in the Pierre's hallowed halls.

1979: Trailblazing journalist Barbara Walters and future Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan make a power couple at the Ladies Home Journal Women of the Year Awards.

1982: Hollywood power couple Sondra Locke and Clint Eastwood make a striking pair as they sweep into the premiere party for Firefox.

1983: Karl Lagerfeld was a longtime devotee of the hotel and mesmerized by the view. He once mused that looking out from The Pierre was “like being in a kind of spaceship, floating over the sea, especially up here [on the 39th floor].”

1985: The silver screen's brightest stars align at the American Museum of the Moving Image Gala, where the dazzling Laura Dern and the debonair Treat Williams make a captivating entrance.

1985: Luminaries of the fashion world, including Willi Smith, Mary MacFadden, Carolina Herrera, Giorgio di Sant Angelo and the timeless Catherine Deneuve, gather to honor their own at the second annual More Fashion Awards.

1985: The ageless Lauren Hutton is the epitome of elegance as she graces the Best Awards Dinner Dance with her inimitable presence.

1985: Joan Collins alongside Andy Warhol. The Dynasty star displayed her hat collection at the hotel, which papers deemed suitable for lunch at The Pierre (if not much else).

1987: James Earl Jones, the voice of a generation, claims his record-breaking sixth Drama Desk Award for his tour-de-force performance in Fences.

1987: Hollywood heavyweights Dustin Hoffman and Lisa Hoffman lend their star power to the 15th Annual Police Athletic League Superstar Awards Dinner, proving their commitment to uplifting the community.

1989: Jane Fonda and former flame Lorenzo Caccialanza attend the Old Gringo premiere.

1990: Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, known for her morning tennis matches and enviably sculpted legs, makes a striking appearance at the Awakenings premiere party, her discerning gaze forever shaping the fashion landscape.

1990: Comedy legend Robin Williams, his eyes sparkling with the same mischievous wit that endeared him to millions, arrives at the Awakenings premiere party arm-in-arm with his beloved wife Marsha.

1991: Gossip queen Liz Smith holds court, notebook in hand, at The Animal Medical Center's "Top Dog" gala, ready to dish on all the evening's juiciest tidbits.

1995: Ivana Trump, dripping in fur and flanked by Celia Nord, Robin Leach and Nikki Haskell, proves she's the ultimate fashion showstopper at The Pierre's decadent Fur Fashion Show.

1996: Supermodel Naomi Campbell and designer Luca Orlandi, a duo of unparalleled style, light up the red carpet at the star-studded 13th Annual Night of Stars.

1997: Fashion's reigning king and queen, Karl Lagerfeld and Linda Evangelista, hold court at the Fashion Group International Night of Stars, their combined charisma electrifying the room.

1998: Downtown darling Chloe Sevigny and fashion rebel Alexander McQueen make a delightfully unexpected pair at the Fashion Group International party.

1998: The author Tom Wolfe, celebrating in his classic white suit, days after the publication of his novel A Man In Full.

2000: Two creative powerhouses, director Sofia Coppola and designer Anna Sui, unite to celebrate Lanvin (Hearts) H&M's boundary-pushing runway show.

2004: Dancers bring the holiday magic to life with their enchanting performance at the always-festive Marc Jacobs Holiday Party.

2004: James Gandolfini and Edie Falco looking diabolically good at the Alzheimer's Association Forget-Me-Not Gala.

2005: The statuesque Catherine Zeta-Jones turns heads and sets hearts aflutter as she makes her grand entrance at the Eighth Annual Red Ball.

2010: Fashion powerhouses Diane von Furstenberg and Tory Burch join forces with Bill Clinton and Andrew Rosen to announce the CFDA's $1 million donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

2013: Designer extraordinaire Carolina Herrera transforms The Pierre for a night of unparalleled elegance and revelry to celebrate the Museum of the City of New York Directors Council Annual Winter Ball.

2013: Fashion royalty Lauren Santo Domingo is a vision of avant-garde elegance at SAVE VENICE's Black and White Ball.

2013: The eternally chic Diane Keaton, topped with her trademark bowler hat, brings her one-of-a-kind style and grace to the L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth Celebration Event.

2016: Debutantes flocked to The Pierre as soon as it opened in 1930, and they’re continuing to do so nearly a hundred years later.

2016: Activist Gloria Steinem and author Dorothy Pitman Hughes, still fighting for women’s rights in the ballroom at the Ms. Gala.

2017: Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark holds court at the Save Venice: Un Ballo in Maschera, Dangerous Beauty Ball, her regal presence adding an extra touch of enchantment to the already magical evening.

2017:  The film and Broadway star Cynthia Erivo performed a medley of songs to support The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's Hope Rising Benefit, finishing with the Beatles' Let It Be.

2018: Baseball legend Derek Jeter makes a stylish exit from The Pierre, his effortless cool a perfect match for the hotel's timeless sophistication.

2019: Supermodel Gigi Hadid and fashion maestro Michael Kors make a picture-perfect pair as they depart The Pierre for the Met Gala, ready to take the iconic event by storm.

2019: Tiffany Haddish was positively sparkling as she departed the hotel for the Met Gala.

 2025: Still stylish after all these years, Betsey Johnson attending the ACE Fashion awards at the hotel.