Le Supper Club
In this edition of Cultivating Conversations, we sit down with Camille Collard, the actor, photographer, and the imaginative force behind Le Supper Club, a digital magazine devoted to what she calls “The Theatre of Dining.” From her Los Angeles apartment, Camille has transformed the dinner party into a living art form: Equal parts story, stage, and self–expression. Through cinematic tablescapes and menus that unfold like scripts, she invites guests into experiences that blur the line between performance and gathering. Our conversation traces how her small–space soirées grew into a creative movement built on nostalgia, storytelling, and the joy of bringing people together.
tell us about yourself and Le Supper Club.
I am Camille Collard, the artist and creator behind Le Supper Club — A digital magazine with a focus on the art of the dinner party and something I like to call ‘The Theatre of Dining.’
“At the core of Le Supper Club is the belief that dinner parties are meant to be an art form, a moment of theatre.”
The nights that I create emerge from a deep love of storytelling, reimagining the tried and true dinner party through evenings that are meant to evoke feelings of nostalgia, a sense of wonder and spark imagination. I am constantly pulling inspiration from my favorite films, childhood memories and bygone eras — Designing tables, menus and tableaus that are meant to serve as one–night–only performances and all built to delight, surprise, and suspend disbelief, if only for a moment. My aim is to blend the concept of traditional hostess with avant-garde director, creating a mini story arc through electric tablescapes, hand painted place cards and strict dress–codes. I like to think of my work as a forever love letter to the dinner party, where the feast is not meant to be about sustenance alone, but a stunning set design where each course is a tale of its own and the joy is forever lingering.
When did you first recognize hosting as a creative impulse rather than simply a social one?
I do not know if I ever saw hosting as simply social, I think I always saw it as ‘entertaining’. And with a performance background, I am sure that I took that word a little more literally than maybe most would. I saw dinner parties as a way to tell a story and to create an experience.
“Hosting to me is without a doubt, an artform.”
Even in my earliest endeavors, I always sought to find a theme, hoping to tell a story through the mini menu with dishes titled something clever and as much style as I could afford, all in hopes of bringing the evening, the tale, the drama to life.
Personally, dinner parties and hosting have always been about much more than gathering at the table, it is the effect and the experience that bring an evening to life — Helping us to dream and imagine and most importantly, escape. And I think we all need a bit of that right now. In a world where people are living through their phones more and more and AI is starting to blur the lines between what is real and what is artificial, dinner parties that feel like a story, a liveable moment of art and expression, are more important than ever!
What draws you to the idea of an evening as a self-contained world?
With a theatre and performance background, I fell in love with the idea that I could build an evening that existed within a singular moment in time. An experience that could never be truly recreated — Only remembered and retold. That concept of experienced uniqueness simply felt like magic to me. Dinner parties could become a slice of authenticity, a moment to pause and enjoy, something that I have been desperately craving these days.
At the end of the day, approaching my work much like a play has truly shaped my creativity and the way that I work. Ultimately, I have always wanted to tell stories… Evoke feelings, emotions, memories…
“The idea that a dinner party could be my own bit of theater was very appealing to me.”
Forever hungry to create experiences for myself that can transport and inspire, I imagined that others might share in that desire as well. So I began to approach my dinner parties as little one night performances where my apartment would become the stage, the menu would act as the script and each guest would step into the role of player. And so far, I have adored every minute of it!
When you look back at your earliest dinner parties, what instincts helped you most, and what have you refined over time?
I have to laugh at this question because I remember how badly I wanted to feel like a real adult, hosting dinner parties and throwing elegant soirees, and yet I lived in a tiny (and I mean tiny, we are talking 380 square feet tiny) studio apartment and I did not have enough chairs for more than two guests let alone space for an actual dinner. So I did a lot of game nights and countless cheese plates. And anytime I hosted more than a couple of friends, I had to actually ask people to bring chairs! I can only imagine the visual of my friends packing their cars with a chair and walking down the sidewalk to my little apartment with a chair hooked over their shoulder. It’s comical to think about, really. But I did what I had to do. I knew that I had this massive desire to host, and I knew I had to turn into something, so… I had to figure out how to make it happen — Even if that meant that the invite included B.Y.O.C.
As time progressed, my space grew and I was able to add chairs to my budget and my life, and my dinner parties also began to mature and take on a whole new creative shape. But I have always maintained the ‘make it happen’ mentality. I still do not have a dining room, so I have to turn my living room into one. I do not have matching platters or a full set of silverware. Instead, I have amassed a fair bit of curated antique pieces and silver cutlery that I love and everytime that I use them, I know I am adding to their already exceptional history. I have grown a lot over the years, as have my collection of dinnerware, table clothes and budget. ‘The theater of dining’ has definitely become more refined, but I still do not have everything that I need and want, and I am constantly adding, adjusting and making do. It is that instinct to ‘just make it work’ that has brought me to where I am today. For it is not simply about gathering with friends and playing the part of the host with the most, it is about creating an experience. Telling a story. And things don't have to look a certain way to do that. It can look however you want. However you need.
How do you choose which ideas deserve to become a night at the table?
“When an idea lingers and dances in my mind, I know it’s time to bring it to life.”
Oftentimes, ideas ruminate for a long period of time — I have several concepts and themes that I am dying to bring to life but simply need a larger space and a bigger budget to do them justice, or maybe I just need them to develop and mature a bit more. But when I cannot seem to shake a visual and I find myself lying awake at night plotting and planning, that is usually when I move into the phase of early execution. Basically, if it feels right, I do it. I have learned from some painful ‘failures’ that when I have to force something, I need to step back, think and possibly redesign. There is nothing worse than attempting to put your heart and soul into something that simply is not working.
What have small spaces taught you about intimacy and atmosphere?
While living in all of my small studios and apartments, I have learned that when there is a hosting will, there is a way. I fondly remember evenings spent at my tiny cafe sized table in a microscopic breakfast nook with a few friends gathered around, plates precariously perched on knees while balancing wine glasses and nibbling on cheese and picky bits. These are honestly some of my most cherished hosting memories. The times when I was figuring it all out and setting out to simply (again) make it happen. I wanted a life of dinner parties, so I made up new rules, and a world of apartment sized hosting emerged.
“From all of my small spaces have grown some of the most magical and intimate nights.”
I have been able to take inspiration from massive designer events, Paris fashion weeks, weddings, affairs with endless budgets, and I have made them my own. Miniature in scale and all painstakingly done by a party of one. These dinner parties, born out of obsession and a need to create, have shaped my life in an unimaginable way. I knew what I wanted to do but it did not exist in magazines nor on Pinterest or Instagram — I knew that I couldn't do exactly what I was dreaming of, but I knew I wanted to try. I wanted to make it my own. To take hosting and dinner parties and lifestyle moments and make it more accessible, more grounded in my thirty–something, single cat lady reality. And so far, thankfully, I think it has been working. And I hope, inspiring others!
When you think about your guests' experience, what feelings do you hope they arrive and then leave with?
That all depends on the project. However, in general, I always want my guests to arrive with a sense of wonder. I hope that as they walk though the door, the scent of whatever I am cooking wafting though my apartment and the playlist in the background immediately invites them into my little world. One of my favorite moments of the evening is when guests round the corner from my little hallway entrance and see the table or the buffet for the first time. It feels a little bit like a curtain up moment, the reveal sets the tone for the night ahead, it is a bit like magic. And upon departure, I hope that they leave with a sense of nourishment.
“Nourished by the dinner, the wine, the conversation and the thoughtful touches.”
That is the most important thing to me. To take care of my guests and to leave them full with wonderful memories of a glorious evening.
Many people hesitate to host because they worry about perfection. What mindset helps you stay grounded in joy rather than pressure?
Oh gosh! This is my biggest struggle. I am at heart a perfectionist, a devastatingly controlling one too. I want everything to be perfect. But I also love the concept of the perfectly imperfect. The lived in moments. The beautiful mess. So I have begun to lean into this aspect more. Capturing the wine stains left behind, the table at the end of the night, plates scraped clean, crumbs lingering on the table, wine bottles scattered about… Through the mess, I have been learning that this is what an exceptional night is all about. This is the joy! People won't remember the mismatched silverwear, the chipped platter, the broken brown butter sauce…
“PEOPLE will remember the feelings, the laughter, the moments.”
If you can set yourself up to facilitate and curate beautiful, lasting memories, it does not matter if the night is perfect. Honestly, I think perfect is really rather boring.
Remember, if I can ask people to bring chairs to a game night and everyone still has a great time, it must mean that great dinner parties are not about what we sit on or eat off of, they are about the company, the conversation and the intention.
Your work lives not just at the table but online. How has documenting and sharing shaped your creative practice?
I have always been interested in photography. I started using my dad’s 35mm SLR when I was about 10. I loved capturing an image, telling a little story in a moment, posing and staging. It was just something that I started doing without ever really being aware of it. My love of photography continued through all of my education, spending the majority of high school in the darkroom and getting a studio art minor in college… But as I got older and no longer had the access to educational darkrooms, I took a step back from film as I could no longer afford the expensive passion.
During the lockdown of 2020 I bought a DSLR and started experimenting with self–portraits in my studio apartment and eventually started photographing micro gatherings with friends here and there. A few years later, I was finally able to buy my dream 35mm camera and I began to really shoot film again — I would share travels and life moments on my personal Instagram and found that so many friends were encouraging me to do something more with all of my photos and creativity. I wasn’t really sure what that looked like, but I was amassing so many images and the scans were just sitting on my harddrive and I wanted to find a way to share my work. I was feeling truly inspired for the first time in a very long time. I slowly started to play around with my hosting style, designing mini dinner parties and cocktail hours with a little more intention and artistry behind them and suddenly, Le Supper Club began to take shape. I am so proud of those early days. When I did not have a ton to work with, but I had a vision. I knew that I wanted my life to take a new shape and I knew I had to create. Today, I look back at the early moments of Le Supper Club and I can see how things shifted and adapted. How I became more confident in my evening’s designs and how I have been able to shape things with a bit more ease and grace. I still have a whole lot of journey and artistry ahead of me as this is just the beginning… I just hope that I never run out of inspiration.
In building a community around your vision, what qualities do you hope people bring to the table, both literally and figuratively?
I hope that people can enter the space much like they would for the theater or the ballet, with a suspension of disbelief. I hope that when they walk through the door, they are ready to let the day go, connect and relish in the evening and most of all, I hope they are there to enjoy the story.
And as for literally… A hostess gift is always a thoughtful gesture and much appreciated! Many people bring wine, which is great, but something thoughtful for the host, something that can be enjoyed on her (or his) own after the party is always lovely and meaningful. Oh! And I desperately hope that they help clear the dishes. That is a big one and one surprisingly is often missed by many guess.
“Dinner party etiquette is a bit of a lost art…”
What excites you about where this project can go as it grows?
I am beyond thrilled to be slowly building a little community around Le Supper Club. With an emerging interest in dinner parties and hosting at home, my creative outlet seems to be perfectly situated to (hopefully) become an inspiration and influence for the evolving world of artful entertaining. When I reflect upon the way that Le Supper Club has been received, I feel so utterly lucky. I happened to start my digital magazine around a time when socializing really changed and people began to crave something new, so the timing has really been spot on in that aspect. Going out doesn't have the luster that it once did. People are opting for gatherings at home or coming together with friends for activities instead of night at the bar. And I truly love that!
“I love that hosting is en vogue again. I love that Martha Stewart is more popular now than ever.”
I love that I get to create stunning nights in my living room that often feel more enjoyable than a chic night-out because they are actually in. And more than anything, I love that people are craving authenticity.
I believe that hosting is becoming an artform again and I am so excited to be in the middle of that movement. It makes me feel as though the possibilities are endless. I see a future of weekend retreats, designed to inspire and ignite likeminded creatives. I see pop-up dinners or cocktail parties where new people can connect and laugh over evenings that feel impossibly too short. I hope to produce a coffee table book — A vision that I imagine will be not only a statement and conversation piece in your living room but also provide inspiration for your hosting endeavors, home and lifestyle. I see so much for Le Supper Club, and I am working endlessly to build this community and to pave a path forward for myself and my art. And while those ideas and hopes ruminate, I plan to continue to build and create dinner parties that will inspire others to host in unconventional ways without a fear of doing it ‘right’.
I cannot thank you enough for inviting me to a conversation around my work and for allowing me to share the details and insights of my version of creative expression. Happy hosting. Xx
