The not-so-simple dinner party has been having a moment. Since the pandemic, we’ve leant into the cosiness of staying home, and with the cost of living crisis, they've become a cheaper way to socialise and keep the party going long into the night.
For the eager hosts out there this has meant extravagant table scapes, printed menus, and hyper-curated evenings. And while some may thrive on this (we’re deeply jealous of your organisational skills) for the majority of us, it can be incredibly overwhelming. Meet: undone dinner parties.
This more laid-back approach to hosting means that rather than spending hours in the kitchen, pre-made is in and baking from scratch is out, so you can focus on having fun.
For Nell Ladipo-Horrell, founder of creative direction and event styling studio Clementine & Moss, the trend taps into a wider cultural moment where we’re embracing imperfection and seeking a life without filters. "Everything I’m seeing, in fashion, food, music, it’s all moving away from this really refined, highly curated and styled ideal – people want to see behind-the-scenes," she explains.
It’s about removing the fear of wearing the right outfit or bringing a fancy bottle of wine. "Undone dining allows people to be themselves, and create something that’s about sharing. It gives you more time to host and chat to your guests rather than saying, “Oh, I just need to dip out and go cook the soufflé'," Nell adds.
‘Undone’ and ‘dishevelled’ give the impression of chaos, so does this mean we should throw caution to the wind, send out a group text and hope for the best when everyone rocks up for dinner? Not quite. For Nell, there should still be some intention and planning involved. "You have to think, 'What’s the goal here?' Is it a drinks party? In which case, let’s have a good spread of nice bottles. Let’s make it look beautiful, but DIY and low-key. So you can have mix-and-match glassware and make the table up with foliage and candles.
Everyone's clicking on...
Above all, Nell recommends making your party feel warm, comforting and nostalgic. And she’s all for buying pre-made food and giving it a little spruce up. Hummus? Buy it in the supermarket, decant into a nice dish, adorn it with paprika and drizzle with olive oil. No one is going to care; your friends will just be happy to be fed!
Need some inspiration for your next dinner party? Here's what Nell would serve this spring:
- A margarita punch
- Shop-bought flatbreads with butter on top
- Shop-bought hummus with added paprika and olive oil
- Grilled asparagus with aioli
- Lamb hot pot or curry
- Rhubarb eton mess
Bon appétit!
Lydia Venn is Cosmopolitan UK’s Senior Entertainment and Lifestyle Writer. She covers everything from TV and film, to the latest celebrity news. She also writes across our work/life section regularly creating quizzes, covering exciting new food releases and sharing the latest interior must-haves. In her role she’s interviewed everyone from Margot Robbie to Niall Horan, and her work has appeared on an episode of The Kardashians. After completing a degree in English at the University of Exeter, Lydia moved into fashion journalism, writing for the Daily Express, before working as Features Editor at The Tab, where she spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Talk Radio. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of Gilmore Girls and 00s teen movies, and in her free time can be found with a margarita in hand watching the Real Housewives on repeat. Find her on LinkedIn.
