Teyana! KAT! Emmy! YSL Beauty Brought the Coolest New Yorkers Together for A Block Party

When YSL Beauty began popping up in different cities around the world, it was only a matter of time before its block party concept touched down in New York. On Saturday, the beauty brand took over downtown institution La Esquina and its SoHo corner on the first perfectly cool fall night of the year, bringing together international ambassadors and local legends for one night only.

“New York had to be the next epicenter, because block parties are really native to New York culture,” Trisha Ayyagari, US General Manager of YSL Beauty, told Vogue. It’s a fitting choice of location: The most famous block party of all time took place in the Bronx, birthing an entirely new genre of music in the summer of 1973. Fast forward to now, and New Yorkers are still wrapping their minds around yet another historic summer, which began with the Knicks winning the NBA championship for the first time in 53 years.

“I think about it and I’m just like, ‘Damn—I brought a Golden Globe back to New York. The Knicks brought a championship to New York. It’s just like…how do you top that?’” pondered Harlemite Teyana Taylor, while sitting inches away from Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and his wife, Jordyn Woods, who also came out to celebrate YSL Beauty’s new Black Opium Pink Glaze fragrance and Make Me Blush Cream.

Fashion-adoring Taylor shared that her three golden doodles are actually named Yves, Saint, and Laurent. “I love their names so much. I call them in order, Yves, Saint, and Laurent. I can’t say it any other way,” she laughed.

When eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist Lauryn Hill arrived, albeit fashionably late, all eyes turned to Lafayette Street, where the rapper and singer-songwriter’s entrance felt right on schedule. Hill posed for the cameras while wearing a caramel-hued Saint Laurent coat from the fall 2026 collection.

A VIP area was equipped with its own private entrance, decorated with graphic pink and black event posters, glass perfume bottles, and colorful blush compacts lining the bar. YSL Beauty US ambassadors Laura Harrier and Amelia Gray could be found hanging out in there, both wearing simple, all-black Saint Laurent looks finished with grungy leather jackets and sleek sunglasses.

When asked about her makeup inspiration, Gray described it as “very minimal, always fresh, and always clean,” which felt like an unexpected contrast to what one might assume a Saturday night party look would entail for the Brooklyn-based model. “I think that’s what’s so cool about how makeup can completely just add to a clothing look that’s so pronounced. We still have the grungy, cool leather, but then we take our sunglasses off and we’re not wearing eyeliner; we’re wearing blush and lip gloss. It’s a chic, hot, Parisian, effortless cool vibe,” Gray said.

Indeed, effortless and easygoing were the unofficial themes of the night. Rather than entirely reinventing the taqueria, YSL Beauty embraced what makes it authentically New York: Gift bags were passed through glass deli windows, tacos served on the go, and espresso martinis flowed to keep the crowd going, as they lined up for Bang Bang tattoos and to snap memories in the photo booth.

Meanwhile, a stairwell led to the location’s secret subterranean space, where the rest of the night unfolded, starting with a DJ set by Mark Ronson filled with more celebrity sightings, like Furious star Emmy Rossum and comedian Matt Rogers. Out front, guests chatted with friends and embraced the fast-paced energy of a weekend in the city, as music mixed with the sound of sirens.

“I feel like the city has such an energy of its own, so every event is elevated automatically,” Harrier said. As music, art, fashion, and culture collided on the corner, the night proved that it really is New York or nowhere.