Michelle Yeoh Celebrates Her Oscar Nod With Giorgio Armani

The actress joined Roberta Armani at the Italian house’s Beverly Hills boutique the evening before she won an Academy Award

Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography by MARC PATRICK/BFA.com and
DONATO SARDELLA/Getty Images for Giorgio Armani

Roberta Armani, Michelle Yeoh.

“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities,” Michelle Yeoh said as she accepted the Academy Award for Best Actress honoring her role in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. “And ladies,” she added, “don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime.” The previous evening, she greeted guests and well-wishers with Roberta Armani, who hosted a cocktail party in her honor, celebrating her nomination at Giorgio Armani’s Beverly Hills boutique on Saturday, March 11. Yeoh, a classically trained dancer, held court inside the store while posing for countless pictures with those who admired her extensive filmography, from Hong Kong martial arts films to Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Hollywood blockbusters including the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

Armani’s Hollywood ties also run deep, as do those of his niece Roberta. The influential Italian designer first opened a boutique on Rodeo Drive in the 1980s and dressed stars both onscreen and off, memorably creating costumes for American Gigolo, Shaft, and The Untouchables. He’s also credited with singlehandedly raising the stakes—and glamour—on the Oscars red carpet, sculpting gowns and tailored suits with clean, modern lines that are simultaneously effortless and polished.

Joining Yeoh for the pre-Oscars gathering were her co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis, who also went on to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress; Stephanie Hsu, also nominated in a supporting role; and Ke Huy Quan, who took home this year’s Best Supporting Actor honors. In all, the film won seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Also on hand to celebrate Yeoh’s nomination was Brendan Fraser, who shared the screen with Yeoh in one of The Mummy films (he later received a Best Actor statue for his starring role in The Whale). Tessa Thompson, Samuel L. Jackson, Karolina Kurkova, Jon Kortajarena, Stella Maxwell, Mackenzie Foy, Chloe East, Allison Williams, Abigail Spencer, Thuso Mbedu, Lexi Underwood, and Sara Sampaio also turned up at Armani to toast Yeoh and the other nominees.