The Evolution of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Party

For every new Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast members, there are a few rites of passage before they’re truly a part of the sisterhood of traveling maxi dresses. One must zero in on a fellow co-star as their newest frenemy, one must do their damnedest to get turned into a GIF worth sharing, and one must throw the most extravagant party possible. After all, there’s no better way to announce your disposable wealth!

While season seven newbie Dorit Kemsley has yet to find herself a frenemy or deserve getting the GIF treatment—give her time, the season is still young!—she wasted no time fulfilling at least one RHOBH requirement during tonight’s episode when she and husband Paul “PK” Kemsley threw her 40th birthday “Buddha lounge” party. With the couple’s truly stunning backyard transformed into an Asian-inspired sushi bar and nightclub all under the watchful eye of a 20-foot portrait of Dorit herself, the celebration certainly puts the Kemsleys on the map in terms of their party-throwing prowess.

A Housewife’s first party is important, setting the tone for all of their other events to come, but as any good Bravoholic knows, they haven’t all been at Dorit’s level. We present to you: The evolution of the RHOBH party.

Taylor Armstrong
Before everything went tragically south for Taylor Armstrong, she helped put Bravo’s trip to the Hills of Beverly on the map—for better or worse—when in just the fourth episode of season one, she threw her first party of the series, a comically over-the-top and insanely overpriced birthday party for her four-year-old daughter Kennedy. The $60k price tag and elegant Alice in Wonderland tea party were of little interest to the uninterested guest of honor, who probably would’ve been just fine with some hot dogs and a bounce house.

Camille Grammer
In what will forever be known as the Dinner Party From Hell, Camille Grammer’s one and only party thrown during her tenure on the show was advertised as an elegant and mild-mannered shared meal at her home with all the ladies. However, with the addition of her friend, celebrity medium and e-cigarette enthusiast Allison Dubois, it became a knockdown, drag out shouting match for the ages—with Saint Camille sitting at the head of the table, a proud knowing smirk on her face, as she surveyed the damage she hath wrought. Not every party needs to be a garish flaunting of wealth to deliver maximum drama. Know that.

Kyle Richards
In what’s become a yearly tradition for RHOBH‘s queen of normal, Kyle Richards introduced viewers to her annual White Party, her celebration of all white everything. The set-up is simple: White tents galore, an alabaster dance floor, everyone dressed in their pearly best. Oh, and don’t forget the burger truck out front. Season one’s White Party was most memorable for the sad juxtaposition of everyone partying in the backyard, while Taylor stood alone in the front yard, waiting for her car while holding a cake.

Adrienne Maloof
Adrienne’s BBQ in season two—somehow the first she’d thrown during her tenure—was a decidedly low-key affair, full of hot dogs and Brandi Glanville‘s boys urinating on the lawn. She would go on to throw many more outrageous events before leaving the series (and even pop up in season five, hosting the ladies at a party while only a guest of the series), but this one would up being best known for desperate Dana Wilkey and her $25k sunglasses. Have you heard?

Dana Wilkey
Dana-Pam wanted to be a Real Housewife real bad. So, Dana-Pam threw a game night in her weird ol’ empty home. Camille described it best: “We walk in, there’s hardly any furniture. You look around and go, ‘OK, what’s going on here?’ For a party planner, I just expected a table to sit at and chairs. It was a table of dessert and a few breadsticks!” However, Dana-Pam’s game night went down in infamy thanks to her terrible hosting skills and the refusal to interfere in the the epic fight between Kyle, Brandi and Kim Richards, who introduced “slut pig” into the national insult lexicon. Thanks for that, Dana-Pam.

Lisa Vanderpump
LVP’s first big bash thrown on the series hardly counts because she didn’t exactly throw it herself. Instead, she allowed family friend (and future RHOBH star Yolanda Hadid‘s ex-husband) Mohamed Hadid to host her daughter Pandora’s engagement party with an overwhelming literal three-ring-circus at his palatial estate. Come for the curbside camel, stay for the overenthusiastic mermaid working hard for her paycheck poolside.

Brandi Glanville
In season two, Brandi wanted to host all the ladies and make it nice. Only problem? Brandi didn’t have a home to host in. Cut to her borrowing someone’s Malibu home for some belly dancing lessons, far too much wine, and a screaming match between Taylor and Camille’s BFF Dede that resulted in Brandi telling the distraught Mrs. Armstrong, “Taylor, I’m gonna ask you to leave my house. You should go.”

Yolanda Hadid
In season three, new Housewife on the block Yolanda invited the women into her exquisite Malibu home for a dinner party including her husband, composer David Foster, and his famous musician friends. Dinner gave way to a private performance of “Danny Boy” of all things, but when a grieving and intoxicated Taylor didn’t want to hear anymore of the funeral dirge, Yo called it a night, sending the guests who dare speak over her husband’s dulcet tones back to Beverly Hills, which is one way to handle things, we guess.

Kim Richards
Kim wouldn’t host her own event until season three of the series, and it would be an unveiling of her new nose, of all things. And if a new nose party doesn’t sum up poor Kim’s wacky and wrenching tenure on RHOBH for you, we don’t know what will.

Carlton Gebbia
One of season four’s two one-and-done additions, Carlton Gebbia never felt like a good fit. The honest-to-goodness self-proclaimed Wiccan (we kid you not) rubbed most of the ladies the wrong way, never more so than at her annual pool party, complete with strippers and goodie bags stuffed with sex toys. We won’t say much more, lest we incur one of her infamous hexes. 

Eileen Davidson
Eileen’s never come across as ostentatious in her three seasons on the series, so it only makes sense that her only party (thrown shortly after joining the cast in season five) would be a poker night. Of course, the one-two punch combo of Brandi and Kim made sure this low-key night was anything but.

Lisa Rinna
Eileen’s partner-in-crime would make her entrée into the world of RHOBH one episode later with a jewelry party that was only really memorably for the discussion Brandi and Yolanda held while in attendance. We’re still waiting for Rinna to step it up with a second soiree.

Erika Girardi
Following Kyle’s BBQ-in-name-only a few weeks earlier in season six, newcomer Erika was intent on showing these ladies how a real BBQ blowout should look. You know, with a pool full of shirtless gay hunks and some carnival games. Oh, there was probably a hot dog or two floating around somewhere, too…

Whose party-planning skills make them RHOBH royalty? Let us know in the comments below.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)