It’s been a while since Blake Lively’s been out for an official public engagement. She joined Ryan Reynolds at the Free Guy premiere back in August but since then and through the pandemic, understandably, with three young children at home, Blake’s been pretty low-key. 

 

Yesterday, however, she was the celebrity guest at the Empire State Building at an event to celebrate the return of UK travellers to New York City hosted by British Airways, NYC & Company, and the British Consulate. It’s an interesting choice – I’m not saying it’s a bad choice, it’s actually a good choice, but it’s also an interesting one. Obviously they were looking for a famous New Yorker for the event, and New York is definitely home for Blake and Ryan, it’s just that I don’t know that they’re the first celebrities who come to mind when you think of New York. During her speech, though, she said that she’d never felt more like a New Yorker than she did last night: 

 

From a publicity point of view, choosing Blake for the occasion is a no-brainer. There’s the glamour factor and she certainly brought it in a red Georges Chakra embellished red dress with a wrap-around bow and matching red pumps. There’s an Audrey Hepburn vibe to the look, an Audrey in New York vibe energy – not straight imitation but the energy is there and it works for the setting, and it’s a look that will get a lot of play online, which of course is the kind of buzz they want to create, generating excitement for this NYC and British Airways partnership and encouraging travellers to make the trip across the Atlantic again for all that New York has to offer: celebrity, fashion, landmarks, theatre, etc. And, of course, just in time for the holidays, and that spirit is reflected in her outfit too. 

Also attached – photos from earlier on Monday when Blake was out with Ryan, their dog, and their baby for a coffee run.