Olivia DeanPhoto: Getty
How do you follow up announcing that Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Olivia Dean is your newest global brand ambassador while on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express? The answer is to throw another unforgettable girl’s night out; one that blends a product launch with a late-night jazz soirée.
To celebrate the new Phantom Blur Balm, Hourglass and Olivia Dean welcomed a glamorous crowd including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Aimee Lou Wood, Tina Kunakey, and Bridgerton star Isabella Wei to Ronnie Scott’s.
London’s legendary SoHo haunt has hosted Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chet Baker, and it’s where Jimi Hendrix played his last public performance in 1970. And on Wednesday evening, attendees assembled Upstairs at Ronnie’s, the institution’s newly-opened first-floor listening room.
As guests settled into cabaret-style tiered tables, palomas, spicy margaritas and Champagne made the rounds. Dean, in a floor-length black sequined gown and matching Fendi baguette bag, kicked off the night’s musical program, which she personally curated as an extension of the Hourglass After Hours campaign that highlights her creative rituals after-dark.
Known for her deeply personal songwriting and commitment to artistic community, the London-native has long spoken about the importance of supporting emerging talent and fostering opportunities for new voices to be discovered. And so, she stepped back from the spotlight for the night, choosing instead to platform two artists whose work has inspired her own creative journey. First up was Hope Winter, a self-taught London-based singer-songwriter and finalist on The Voice U.K. She was followed by Nectar Woode, the British-Ghanaian artist whose recent single Wine Into Water features piano accompaniment by none other than Elton John.
“Hope Winter and Nectar Woode are both amazing artists whose voices I love so much,” Dean told Vogue. “I knew they’d be the perfect fit for tonight.” The proof was in the pudding, as nearby, Aimee Lou Wood and boyfriend Adam Long were among those on their feet as the room whooped and cheered.
Between sets, people made their way to the bar and enjoyed beauty touch-ups on route, thanks to artists demonstrating Dean’s signature lip edit (Phantom Blur Balm in Enigma, Shape and Sculpt Lip Liner in Tempt, and Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm in Desire, if you were wondering.)
Lobster rolls, truffle fries, and cherry martinis arrived as Woode’s final notes faded—and just before DJ Zezi helped the evening shift seamlessly into a late-night dance party. Even Dean—who was due back at the O2 Arena the following night for the final two dates of her six-show residency on The Art of Loving Live tour—hit the dance floor with her crew.
By the time guests spilled out into rainy SoHo, the night had covered a lot of ground: a product launch, yes, but also a celebration of music, mentorship, and community. For Olivia Dean, making all of that look effortless really is so easy.
