Inside L.A.'s Best August Events

Here's what happened as summer wound down in Los Angeles.

Neil Lane x KAY Jewelers Launch

Visiting the Tower of London in the '70s is what inspired Neil Lane's early jewelry — which now also feeds into his new collection of lab-created diamonds with Kay Jewelers, with whom he's partnered for the last 14 years.

"The vintage jewelry was my inspiration," said Lane at an event celebrating his new Neil Lane Artistry Heritage Collection with KAY Jewelers at Sunset Tower on Aug. 22. The line features Art Deco-inspired diamonds set in platinum: 14 engagement rings and six women's wedding bands. "These are the rings that would have gone with [pieces] from the period — movals, the square shape, you have baguette diamonds here."

Along with The Bachelor stars Daisy Kent, Lea Cayanan, Rachel Nance and Zack Kalter — who came to support the show's resident ring designer — actress Debi Mazar, model Keleigh Teller and model Helen Owen sipped signature Jeweled Juleps and Platinum Puckers while perusing the glitzy jewels. "When I was at the Tower of London, I didn't know all these years later, I would be doing this," Lane said. "But that memory was always with me, and that's what I was able to accomplish with KAY."

John Legend's LVE Wines x The London West Hollywood

The demand for LVE Wines by John Legend is sky-high — especially since the musician launched a dining collaboration with The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills' rooftop.

On Aug. 1, Legend was on hand to debut the alfresco experience: a la carte items and a "John Legend Selections" three-course prix-fixe menu with dishes inspired by "John’s Favorite Things" from wife Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook Cravings (think BBQ chicken pizza and short rib ravioli). He also participated in a Beef Wellington cooking competition with the hotel’s executive chef Anthony Keene and answered questions about the collaboration.

While surrounding the pool and overlooking the city, guests sipped on the Be Legendary with Vodka and LVD Rose, the Sparkling Strawbery with LVE Sparkling rose and the Watermelon Frose. Things ended on a sweet note with dessert offerings like strawberry napoleon, chocolate brownie and berry pavlova.

Oceana SeaChange Summer Party

"It was here, literally, right there, that I fell in love," said host and board member Ted Danson on Aug. 17 to the sea of guests at Oceana’s 17th annual SeaChange Summer Party. "When I was five years old, we lived in Tucson, Arizona, and we used to pile in the back of the station wagon and drive at night, because it was so hot, to Laguna Beach."

He shared that it made such an impact on him, he made Southern California home. "So, to stand in front of people who have, over 17 years, given more than $20 million to help that ocean — that ocean right there — it thrills me," Danson said.

The stunning event — which started with a seaside cocktail hour, and continued with a three-course dinner and a live auction with items from a car to vacation at Naladhu Private Island Maldives Resort — raised $1.5 million toward the organization’s campaigns to protect and restore the oceans in California and around the world. Oceana’s new CEO Jim Simon addressed the crowd for the first time since assuming the role, and the event honored longtime Oceana supporter and SeaChange co-founder Valarie Van Cleave before guests including Diane Lane, Oscar Nu?ez, Dennis Haysbert and Emmanuelle Chriqui.

The night ended with a performance by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb — who told the story of how friend Ethan Hawke passed a cassette tape of “Stay (I Missed You)" to Reality Bites director Ben Stiller. "It was a very exciting time to be an independent artist with a number-one song," said Loeb, who performed her now-30-year-old classic.

Miraval Rosé x Courtney Storer

Courtney Storer, the visionary and culinary producer of FX's Emmy winning series The Bear, teamed up with Brad Pitt's Miraval Rose for a Provence, France-inspired garden soiree on Aug. 1.

For the event, she prepared apps and a grazing spread — with a grand aioli, tomato and nectarine salad, a colorful Provencal tian and radishes with whipped cultured butter. "The beautiful nectarines, goat cheese, perfect for the rose, but all the variants you saw, from tomato to feta to baguette to melon, you can see how the wine really complements the food," she said. Read more here.

Rodeo Drive x Richard Orlinksi

As part of the second annual Rodeo Drive Celebrates Fashion event, French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski made his L.A. debut with colorful animal sculptures crafted from resin.

Orlinksi celebrated the exhibition at a reception on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel's Rodeo Terrace with guests including Christian Estrosi, the Mayor of Nice; Scot Prescott, AutoVault CEO; and Todd Johnson, Beverly Hills Chamber CEO.

The pieces — including the Wild Kong, Standing Bear, Panda and Crocodile — will be available for animal-loving spectators to view along the famed palm tree-lined drive and in the Beverly Wilshire hotel through November. Read more here.

Intuit Dome Opening

Thousands of fans — including Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance, Meghan Trainor and Daryl Sabara, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes, Sophia Bush, Victoria Justice and Madison Reed, Derek Hough, Amanda Kloots, Bozoma Saint John and Babyface — came out to the Intuit Dome opening on Aug. 15 to watch 14-time Grammy winner Mars' first solo concert in L.A. since 2018.

Mars' high-energy opening night concert christened Inglewood's new 18,000-seat, one-million-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, celebrated earlier in the night with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for the icon, pop royalty, Lady Gaga!" said Mars to the stadium of concert-goers who'd just watched him perform hours of his greatest hits — and thought he was finished.

Prior to singing the duet, he announced: "Lady Gaga just put a song out today and she was kind enough to let me be on it, and this song is called 'Die With a Smile.'" Read more here.

Chain House Pizza Skillet Social

Actor, director and foodie B.J. Novak's Chain — which started as a pop-up in 2022 and now has a permanent East Side home, as well as a 30,000-person waitlist — serves chef-driven takes on chain restaurant classics, such as Friendly's, McDonald's and Chili's.

At the recent Chain Pizza Skillet Social on Aug. 8-10, an industry crowd enjoyed Chain's Michelin-starred chef Tim Hollingsworth reimagined Pizza Hut favorites — such as deep-dish style skillet pizzas (a Bolognese and even a Fried Pickle Ricotta pizza), along with Chain's beloved buffalo chicken tender bites. Nostalgic cocktails concocted with Absolut Vodka, Codigo 1530 Tequila and Beefeater Gin and curated by Thunderbolt mixology included the Arctic Surge with Absolut Citron, Hawaiian Milk Punch with Codigo 1530 Tequila and the East-Side Salad with Beefeater Gin.

Next up, Novak's second annual ChainFEST, a gourmet food festival featuring a smorgasbord of Michelin-starred collaborations and special offerings, will be returning to Los Angeles on Oct. 5 — and tickets are selling fast.

Susan Bender x Heather Dubow Launch

Susan Bender and Heather Dubrow hosted an exclusive luncheon in West Hollywood at La Boheme, where they unveiled their latest Susan Bender x Heather Dubrow capsule collaboration over cocktails and bites. The collection of chic, classic statement pieces launched with the event on Aug. 13.

Catherine Gee Dinner

Luxury Santa Barbara-based fashion designer and artist Catherine Gee — known for feminine designs, sleek silks and art-inspired prints — hosted a dinner at Chateau Marmont in honor of her latest capsule collection and collaboration with renowned artist Benjamin Anderson.

"In my former career, I was a gallerist, running art galleries, so it's a huge part of the DNA of the brand," Gee told the crowd. Guests dressed in Gee's latest fashions feasted on calamari, roasted salmon, curried cauliflower and berries with brownie bites for dessert.

Keys Club Opening

The mammoth former 1Oak space on Sunset — which once housed legendary venue The Key Club — has been reincarnated, thanks to The h.wood Group, into an over 12,000-square-foot ode to its energetic predecessor.

Marking the group's first foray into the electronic music space, Keys opened with performances by DJ and producer Zack Bia, a violin performance by D Sharp and support from sponsor Bratz and guests like Michael B. Jordan, David Dobrik and Alex Pall of The Chainsmokers.

Jorge Perez's Book Launch

Author Jorge Perez launched his book The Shut the Fu*k Up Method with an intimate cocktail party and dinner at the Art of Elysium's headquarters, highlighting both the organization and Perez's commitment to wellness. Perez's book offers readers tips on transforming their communication through mindfulness, while the Art of Elysium brings artists into hospitals to create uplifting art for patients.

Attendees including comedian Heather McDonald, TV personality Stuart O’Keefe, Art of Elysium founder Jennifer Howell and Rain Phoenix enjoyed a culinary experience by chef Laurent Rebuffel, alongside treats from sponsors such as Knesco Skin, Manifest Beauty, Algodon Wines, Tru Bars, Magic Mind, Tru Niagen and Hollywood Burgers.