In Hollywood, a party is rarely just a party.
But rather than throw a bash to launch a brand, celebrate a new project or honor a boldfaced name, Ashlee Margolis and her team at The A List hosted a soirée Friday simply to say “thank you.” The invitees on the receiving end of that gesture just so happened to be a group of Hollywood insiders that are more commonly associated with grunt work than gratitude: Assistants.
“It’s a way to say thank you to the assistants that help us all year long,” explained Margolis to The Hollywood Reporter about the origins of the fourth annual young Hollywood mixer, which took place inside and around the property of her Beverly Hills headquarters on Civic Center Drive. “The energy is raging. So many of these kids, it’s their first opportunity to leave work early for Summer Fridays so we’re celebrating that and them. The weather’s gorgeous, everyone’s having a lot of fun, they’re schmoozing and some of them are meeting each other for the first time after exchanging calls and emails for months if not years.”
The A List, a celebrity, influencer and entertainment marketing, events and special projects firm, invited 450 talent assistants from top companies across town including CAA, UTA, WME, Untitled Entertainment, Gersh, Entertainment 360, IDPR, 42 West, Lede Company, Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, Range Media Partners, Mosaic and many others. Several hundred were on the scene to sip, snack, shake hands, schmooze and take tours of The A List’s showroom.
Other party activities included hair and make-up touch-ups courtesy of Glamsquad and a raffle featuring prizes from event sponsors LOFT, Fly by Jing, Grove Collaborative and Glamsquad. Sweetfin offered poke bowls, and pours came courtesy of Aspen Vodka and Flecha Tequila. Attendees went home with gift bags that included products by Olaplex, Ettitude, Fly by Jing, Bloom Nutrition, Magic Mind, FORM, Dirty Cookie, Glamnetic and comped classes from Barry’s. Additional sponsorship came from RepBets, Bloom Nutrition, Magic Mind, Saint James Iced Tea, Dirty Cookie, Prince St. Pizza and VOSS Water.
On the topic of name-checking, Margolis also said one thing is key to curating a great party for assistants: Name tags. “It’s crucial so they can identify who’s who, where they work and all of that,” she said. “It’s great to make connections that way because many of the people who are here today are most likely going to be in the entertainment industry for years to come, so they will know each other forever after meeting here today.”
Atmosphere inside The A List’s fourth annual young Hollywood party.
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Margolis, founder of The A List, poses during her company’s fourth annual young Hollywood party.
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The cocktail menu featured such drinks as “The NDA,” “The Power Call,” “Client’s Always Right” and “Out of Office.”
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Model Ben Crofchick and Myles Goldman.
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Sam Epstein, Cameron Rawlings and others.
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Andrew Kim, Sarah Chalhoun, Holly Ren and Rodrigo Mariano.
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Dirty Cookie provided cookie shots.
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Angela Braun, Nicole Aibazis and Sasha Bocq.
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Atmosphere inside The A List’s fourth annual young Hollywood party..
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Guests receive a tour of The A List’s showroom during the party.
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Olen Holn, Kaitlyn Franck, Matthew Chang, Eric Hollander, Benito Davila and Elliott Ducree.
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Team The A List: Company insiders pose together during the party.
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Margolis, managing partner Jenine Leigh-Pollard and showroom guru Shana Honeyman. In 2025, as The A List celebrates its 25th anniversary, the company partnered with Shana’s Honeyman Agency — a firm specializing in celebrity and VIP dressing for global luxury brands.
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A look at the gift bag contents.
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Shots by Magic Mind.
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Atmosphere inside the party with raffle prizes and Fly By Jing products.
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