The 11th annual Le Diner en Blanc was held on Thursday, August 10, 2023. Although there was some bad weather during the day, it all cleared up in time to make it a lovely evening (with a slightly late start due to the rain delay). The location this year was Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. For those still unfamiliar with this event, it originated in Paris and is currently held in cities around the world. Guests wear all white and bring their food to a location kept secret until the event starts. Attendees then set up their tables with beautiful décor and enjoy food and camaraderie with thousands of others into the night. The ensembles never disappoint, and I spent most of my evening walking the entire grounds to see who really brought it this year. Below are my picks.
Davida Janae (Philadelphia)
Davida has attended in the past, but this was her first-time back post covid. Her dress was from Fashion Nova and she carried a Fendi bag. Her fascinator was purchased for her engagement party, and she brought it back out to wear at this year’s festivities. She shared with me that she had six dresses she was considering for this year’s event and her followers made the final selection. She considered “comfort, function and fun” in selecting her ensemble. Davida stood out to me as soon as I arrived with her elegance head to toe. You can follow her at @vidafashionista.
Sue Entriken (Abington) & Vicky Wu (Philadelphia)
This duo stood out as they were dressed very similarly and are both adorable. Both were attending Le Diner en Blanc for the first time. Their dresses were purchased from a Chinese designer. Sue shared that she loved that her dress was flowy and had fluffy sleeves. Vicky relayed she was going for elegance and loved the feathers and beading. I hope this duo enjoyed their first DEB and will be returning next year!
Ramillionaire Carr (Philadelphia)-BEST DRESSED MAN PICK
Little needs to be said about this fashion superstar who is a standout at every event he attends. Full disclosure-he is a friend. I began following his fashion and content long before I knew him personally. I always look forward to what he will wear, his confidence, and his online posts about the importance of being yourself. He designed his suit as he often does. He told me he wanted to do lace because see through outfits were big this year. He has his own line called Ramilli. He is currently one of the finalists for “People’s Choice” Influencer through Philadelphia Magazine. We hope he wins! Follow Ramillionaire at @theramillionaire.
Aisha Leone (Philadelphia)
I noticed Aisha both because of her beautiful pearl-focused ensemble and the tablescape of her group. Her bustier is by Akira and she was wearing Betsey Johnson boots. I loved the pearls she wore down her arms. She told me they were from Michaels and she got the idea to buy pearls and glue them to her arms. It really made the outfit along with her other pearl pieces.
Julian Sellers (Philadelphia)
Julian wore a classic seersucker suit. Often seersucker is blue and white, but this beauty was perfect for the evening as it was white on white. It was purchased from Macy’s. I asked him about his accessories. He told me his feather lapel pin stood for rebirth. He shared that he received his ring in recognition of his 20 years as a firefighter. We thank you for your service and your elegant standout attire.
Candace Johnson (Philadelphia)-BEST DRESSED WOMAN PICK
How could you not notice Candace who wore her take on a bridal ensemble? She told me the inspiration was from Kourtney Kardashian who had worn something similar for one of the famous Kardashian Christmas Eve parties in the past. Candace said she wanted to look like a barbie bride and show off her curves. She loves that women can focus on their careers and have more freedom to decide if marriage is right for them today. Candace is the founder of an intimacy card game company called Touchy Feely. @touchyfeelygame
Luis Santiago (Philadelphia)
I adored the ensemble from the beret to the boots! I chatted with Luis about his inspiration. He said he wanted something sexy that also challenged traditional gender roles. He said most of the pieces were from Amazon. This was his fourth time attending DEB and in my opinion, Luis is one to watch in future years!
Prajje Oscar (Philadelphia)
A Haitian born US Fashion designer best known for his time on Project Runway including the current season of Project Runway All Stars. I am a total groupie of both his fashion and his witty tell-it-like-it-is personality. He opened his US atelier right here in Philadelphia. He told me this was his first DEB and that he made the outfit he wore that day. His inspiration was the “underwear as outerwear” trend. He also wore incredible gold accessories and Ivy Park Adidas kicks. @prajjeoscar
J’Lyn E. Martin (Philadelphia)
J’Lyn accompanied Prajje at the event. He told me Prajje had designed the kilt he was wearing and that most of the other pieces were thrifted. His inspiration for his look was “feminine and masculine.” @boss_jemstyleslife_
Henri Caed
As I was leaving for the night, I saw this amazing lady with a swarm of people around her with cameras and video. The look was fabulous and, in my opinion, very Beyonce Renaissance inspired. I did not have a chance to chat with her about her look before heading out, but I had to snap a pic and make sure she gets her flowers for this lewk. I was able to find her on the gram and her post from DEB says she put this look together mainly from Amazon in about 8 hours after she wasn’t happy with her original look she intended to wear. Check out all her tips at @henricaed. Her post always states that friend Darrah Wade @dw916 constructed this incredible hat! I wish I had gotten to speak to you and taken a better photo but there were just too many admirers around you, and I can understand why.
Congratulations to Natanya DiBona & Kayli Moran (Philly DEB Founders) on another magical evening. Also, a big congrats to Kate Marlys and the entire team at Philly PR Girl and all the other volunteers that were on hand to create this special evening in our city.
Follow @dinerenblancphiladelphia and @dinerenblancatlanticcity to make sure you find out when tickets will go live for these events in 2024.