Marie Claire brought its Power Play dinner series to Los Angeles last Friday during NBA All-Star Weekend, gathering leaders across sports, fashion, and culture at Alba in West Hollywood. The evening was a celebration of the women redefining the game, from entrepreneurs and executives to stylists and other creatives whose influence stretches well beyond a single arena.
Editor in chief Nikki Ogunnaike—who co-hosted the dinner alongside Taylor Rooks, host of NBA on Prime—laid out why Marie Claire wanted a seat at the table during All-Star Weekend.
Yvonne Orji, Hazel Renee, and Nicole Lynn at Marie Claire’s Power Play dinner.
“When I was thinking about Marie Claire’s focus for this year, it felt really important for us to show up in this space. Because while the spotlight is often on men—and listen, we love the guys, too; in fact, I see a lot of men in the room tonight which I’m grateful for because we all need to support each other,” she said in her remarks. “But we know that there are so many women behind the scenes who are critical to their success, from wives and partners to team owners and stylists and agents and sports journalists. So it felt right to center and celebrate them.”
Susan Chardy, Nikki Ogunnaike, and Yvonne Orji.
Ogunnaike took a moment to acknowledge Rooks’s range beyond her day job. “I also want to mention the singular and supremely talented Taylor Rooks,” she said. “We've all seen her talking football on television, but tonight, she's here as my co-host and I couldn't be more grateful.”
Inside Alba's private dining room, the setting matched the spirit of the evening. Long communal tables were arranged banquet-style, lined with floral centerpieces in warm reds, oranges, and yellows. Soft lighting kept things intimate, and the effect was something like a very chic family dinner, designed for real conversation over small talk.
Lorenzo McCloud, Taylor Rooks, and Raven B. Varona.
Guests included Joe Burrow, Tinashe, Coco Jones, Puka Nacua, Clara Wu Tsai, and Hazel Renee, along with other entrepreneurs, stylists, creators, and cultural leaders. Several attendees also sat down with Ogunnaike to record upcoming episodes of Marie Claire’s Nice Talk podcast, including Malika Andrews, Jordyn Woods, Courtney May, Yvonne Oriji, and Rooks.
Susan Chardy, Nicole Lynn, Hazel Renee, Malika Andrews, Yvonne Orji, Nikki Ogunnaike, and Tinashe.
Marie Claire hosted the celebratory dinner in collaboration with Nexxus, and with event partners including Levi's, San Pellegrino, N2B4B liquid collagen, CAKES Body, Knix Wear, and Crown Royal.
The evening marked Marie Claire's first appearance at All-Star Weekend—though as Ogunnaike put it, “I'm already confident in saying it won’t be our last.”
Tinashe, Yvonne Orji, and Susan Chardy.