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24 A BUZZY NYC NIGHT THE GRILL By Christina Geyer. Photography Neil Rasmus/BFA. T he setting said it all: the former Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City, now known as The Grill and The Pool since its purchase, reboot, and reopening in New York earlier this year. When the Four Seasons opened in 1959, the iconic Philip Johnson-designed temple was synonymous with the power lunch. Gordon Gekko and Don Draper types flocked here for generations, nestling into Mies's Brno chairs to make deals over martinis, slick in their suits and ties, while Philip Johnson held court daily at his table on the right. Sure, women have infiltrated that scene, but we're certain the hallowed walls of the Seagram Building have never seen anything quite like the star-studded launch of Whitney Wolfe Herd's newest venture, Bumble Bizz, her third women-empowerment app. Her first, the dating app Bumble, encourages women to make the first romantic move; the second is another swipe-left, swipe-right app (Bumble BFF) that encourages female friendships. "It's fitting that we're here in the space where the power lunch was born," said the 29-year-old founder, whose com- pany is based in Austin, and who attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "Well, that power lunch is no longer just for men." This was actually a power dinner, with enough feminine muscle to lift even the heaviest glass ceiling. To co-host her glamorous New York City fête, Herd tapped a world-renowned trio: Indian actress and philanthropist Priyanka Chopra, model and tech entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, and actress-entrepreneur Kate Hudson. The gals showed up in force, with a guest list of top editors including Elle magazine's Nina Garcia and Alyssa Bailey; Architectural Digest's Amy Astley; GQ's Madeline Weeks, WWD's Alex Badia, Harper's Bazaar's Joanna Hillman, and Vogue's Selby Drummond; artist Anh Duong; fashion types Tina Craig, Misha Nonoo, Leandra Medine, Samantha Angelo, Rachel Zoe, Claire Distenfeld, and Gucci Westman; social celebs Nell Diamond, Sara Foster, Erin Foster, Casey Fremont Crowe, and Elettra Rosellini Wiedemann; royals Princess Beatrice of York; and Bumble's pretty-young-thing clique of execs: Chelsea Maclin, Sarah Sawaf, Caroline Roche, and Alex el-Effendi. During cocktail hour in The Grill, just a few minutes before dinner chimes rang, a surprise guest swanned through the crowd: pop star Fergie. Why was she here? We would soon find out. In The Pool's dining room, InStyle editor-in-chief Laura Brown — known for her pro-women editorial vision, quirky demeanor, and ability to poke fun at the fashion industry with charming aplomb — was first to take the mic. "Whitney Wolfe has been giving women the power since launching Bumble almost three years ago," she said. "From the start, she was committed to empowering women and helping them make the first move romantically, socially, and now, with Bumble Bizz, professionally." at Anjula Acharia, Priyanka Chopra Athena Calderone Nell Diamond, Claire Distenfeld Christina Geyer, Suzanne Droese, Tina Craig Erin Foster, Kate Hudson, Sara Foster Fergie, Whitney Wolfe Herd Andrew Saffir, Rachel Zoe, Daniel Benedict (continued on page 26)