Inside Ayo Edebiri's Intimate PAPER Cover Dinner at Maxwell
BY
Joan Summers | Apr 01, 2026
The people's princess Ayo Edebiri had a dinner party this weekend and her closest friends were invited. PAPER, thankfully, made the guest list too.
Our latest cover star threw an intimate dinner bash with friends, collaborators and PAPER at Maxwell Tribeca in NYC Sunday night. A long, sprawling table was set family style, where longtime friends caught up after their winter separations and eagerly chatted about the swift arrival of spring. Candles cast a warm glow on her framed cover, shot by Jaša Müller, hand-painted and distinct, just like Edebiri herself.
The night began with a cocktail hour, from 5 PM to 6 PM, with guests gathering around the fireplace at the Tribeca social club. Recognizable faces included playwright and filmmaker Jeremy O. Harris, photographer wunderkind Tyler Mitchell, Olivia Washington and Danny Kasirye. Cover writer Yohana Desta was also seen chatting about the crowd, which included friends Sarah Hagi and Natalie Walker, famed writer and actress about town respectively, alongside Straightio Lab host George Civeris. (The PAPER crew was also in attendance, of course.)
After cocktails, PAPER matriarch Mickey Boardman gave a touching toast, before guests sat to enjoy a family style meal, intermingling and swapping stories. Ayo, our aforementioned cover princess, weaved through the dinner, stopping to say hello to old friends along the way.
Only a talent like Ayo could bring together a group such as this, reflecting the creatively charged cover they were all assembled to celebrate. And what better place to do so than ensconced by lush curtains and a floor to ceiling bookshelf? For more from our cover story with Ayo Edebiri, including her upcoming Broadway debut and creative origin story — including that incredibly sweet anecdote about her parents — click here.
Photography by: Alexey Kim
