Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade arrived at United Talent Agency’s fourth annual pre-Met Gala party on Sunday evening in Manhattan, stepping in alongside Karlie Kloss as the room filled with familiar faces ahead of Monday’s Met Gala. The gathering was held at Nubeluz by Chef José Andrés on the 50th floor of The Ritz-Carlton New York Nomad.
The pair paused for a minute on the venue’s expansive terrace, taking photos against the sunset before heading back inside. That kind of scene has become part of the rhythm around UTA’s party, which draws celebrity clients and friends of the agency from across fashion, art, film, music and sport. Darnell Strom said the Met Gala guest list has long mixed those worlds, and that the agency’s party was a nod to the range of people it represents.
Janelle Monáe arrived just before 9 p.m. in a menswear-inspired look, while Daisy Edgar-Jones was among the actors chatting with Nicolas Hoult. In another corner of the room, Tyriq Withers caught up with Dwayne Wade. The event unfolded as Manhattan’s pre-Met Gala circuit kept building toward the First Monday in May, with UTA’s annual gathering serving as one of the night’s more polished stops.
Lisa Rinna said her daughter, Amelia Hamlin, was due to attend the Met Gala the next day, while her husband Harry had left that day. Rinna said it was one reason she stayed behind for the party, adding that Harry does not often do much of the fashion side of things, which made the weekend feel different. For Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade, who are regulars at UTA events, the appearance fit neatly into a night built around the same mix of style, entertainment and celebrity that the Met Gala itself celebrates.
The guest list and the setting made the point plainly: this was not just a warmup, but part of the machinery that turns the Met Gala into a citywide event. The next day’s red carpet would belong to the artists and designers, but on Sunday night the social calendar already belonged to Manhattan.
