Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams Cohost Dôen’s Annual Planned Parenthood Fundraiser
The invite promised spaghetti disco.
“I wasn’t sure what that meant,” mused a guest.
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It meant pasta and dancing inside La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night, where Dôen hosted its annual Planned Parenthood fundraiser. This year, designer-sister duo Margaret and Katherine Kleveland were joined by cohosts Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams.
“We are fighting the fight of our lives for equality,” said Philipps, before opening up about an abortion she had as a teen in Arizona.
“Planned Parenthood was there for me when I was 15 years old and very terrified,” she continued. “I vowed to myself in that moment that I would do everything in my power to always be there for Planned Parenthood. And lo and behold, especially in these last few years, I’ve had to show the f–k up, as we all have.”
“It’s the most important health care provider in America,” Williams said.
Planned Parenthood’s services range widely, they emphasized.
“It goes beyond unwanted teen pregnancies and extends to essential health care, screenings, STDs, but also cancer screenings, men’s health care, transgender care,” Philipps said. “Now more than ever, especially with the ongoing attack on reproductive rights in our country, they need our support and our love and our f–king money.”
It was a night to raise funds — but also have a good time. “With cocktails, which we’ve had plenty of already,” Philipps smiled.
Drinks were flowing in the buzzing, dimly lit restaurant, which filled up quickly. It was body-to-body in every nook and inch of the leopard-print carpet, and inside the red leather booths. Guests sipped on negronis and martinis while snacking on charcuterie before the pasta came out: bowls and bowls of spaghetti and meatballs. Quaint and cozy, it served as the perfect venue for an intimate holiday party, with green balloons hanging from the ceiling and a silver mini Christmas tree shimmering in a corner. A favorite of Frank Sinatra’s when it opened in 1966, the spot has been taken over by Med Abrous and Marc Rose of Genghis Cohen.
“Beautiful restaurant,” actress Justine Lupe told Rose. “How long have you been open?”
“A couple of months,” he told her, beaming. He was in his element.
There was a level of comfort in the room, full of women, many of them friends with each other — with most in Dôen. Guests included Courtney Eaton, Abby Elliott, Georgie Flores and Clare Vivier.
Along with supporting Planned Parenthood, it’s their “shared love of beautiful Dôen dresses” that brought them out, said Philipps standing with Williams.
“That’s a very graceful way to put it,” Williams nodded.
The longtime friends both opted for short dresses by the California brand; Philipps was in floral and satin with velvet trim and Williams in red velvet with a ruffled silk organza collar and cuffs.
“For these two women to show up and commit their time to speaking about this is really important,” said Margaret, who opted for a red plaid dress. “It felt on theme, vintage, ‘70s-inspired,” she said of the look, as disco played in the background courtesy of DJ Holy Thursday — spinning the likes of the Bee Gees and ABBA.
“First of all, they make gorgeous frocks that we want to wear and we want to show up to a party in,” Philipps said of the Kleveland sisters, whom she has supported in many an Instagram post. “But they also fundamentally understand that there’s no true quality without bodily autonomy. And right now, that is being ripped away from, like, over 23 states in this country. Millions and millions and millions of people don’t have access to essential health care. And not only is that unconscionable, but it’s our job to shine a light on it and say, ‘OK, we can do better and we’re gonna continue to do better and show up.’”
Advocating for reproductive justice is a constant battle, Philipps went on: “I took my cues from women who came before me, especially Black women who are in the movement and who were always saying, like, actually, we need to keep fighting, we need to keep showing up for this….I mean, quite frankly, I’m always shocked that more people don’t speak up for things that seem so universal. And honestly, not controversial at all.”
It’s a fight that must be passed down across generations.
“I just feel like we have to wake up to the fact that yes, we do have to teach our daughters, ‘Yes, actually, you have to keep showing up,’” Philipps said. “And it’s important to lead by example, because, by the way, we can say it all we want. Michelle and I both have teenage daughters. They learn by watching us. And I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”
Launch Gallery: Inside DÔEN's Annual Planned Parenthood Fundraiser at La Dolce Vita
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