| EVENT REPORT 10.20.09 5:58 PM |
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Elle Fetes Hollywood Women With Intimate A-List Bash Awash in White Decor
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Every so often comes along an event with enough star wattage to nearly overcome the paparazzi waiting outside. Such was the case at Elle's Women in Hollywood awards on Monday night. A scant 220 guests came to the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills to join the program, and most of those were boldface names—including honorees Katie Holmes, Julianne Moore, Julie Andrews, and Renée Zellweger, and their presenters and industry friends. This year, a 60-foot-long carpet (versus 28 feet last year) helped keep the arrivals scene sane.
The magazine's New York-based special events manager, Caitlin Weiskopf, oversaw the event, tapping Caravents to produce it for the first time. The look was nearly all white, in honor of sponsor Calvin Klein. In the entry area, an Elle-logo plexi wall stood in front of a Four Seasons' fountain, and a gallery of 18 framed images—celebrity beauty shots and imagery that spanned a century—from sponsor L'Oreal Paris lined the walkway. Baubles from sponsor David Yurman decked a display made from materials such as silver trays and mirror detailing, rather than a standard glass case. And at the end of the arrivals carpet, a representative from sponsor Moët encouraged arriving celebrities to sign an oversize bottle of bubbly, which would be auctioned for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. As to the sponsors' integrations, they were "a little more modern, more clean, more integrated," than is typical, said Caravents' Cara Kleinhaut.
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Elle, Moët & Chandon, Calvin Klein, David Yurman, L'Oréal Paris, Alec Baldwin, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund |
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| EVENT REPORT 02.23.09 11:22 AM |
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Oscar Governors Ball Chooses Zen-Inspired Understatement Over Splashy Opulence
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When an economy of unprecedented lousiness met one of the the most traditionally lavish parties of the year last night, the result was a Zen-looking Academy Awards Governors Ball marked by restraint, compared with the drama of past years. The party took over the grand ballroom at Hollywood & Highland following the awards at the Kodak Theatre in the same complex.
The classic elements of air, fire, wood, and earth inspired this year's event, which Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions produced with ball chair Cheryl Boone Isaacs. This was Boone Isaacs' seventh year as chair, and Cecchetto has worked on the event for more than two decades. "In this economy, we wanted to go with a pared-down look, but keep it elegant and beautiful," said Cecchetto, who drew some of her inspiration from a teahouse in Beijing. She characterized the look and feel as a "marriage of simplicity and beauty." Boone Isaacs added that the use of organic elements in the design was "like a breath of fresh air," and something "totally different"—an important difference from past years, you might say, in light of the glum atmosphere in the world outside the ballroom.
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Award Season, Oscars, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sterling Vineyards, Patron, Ultimat Vodka, Moët & Chandon, Governors Ball |
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| EVENT REPORT 02.20.09 12:24 PM |
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Amid Eco-Conscious Touches, Essence Award Luncheon Evokes Pre-Recession Opulence
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One thing Essence magazine would have been wise to provide at its second annual Black Women in Hollywood award luncheon, at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday, was stockpiles of tissues—as presenters and award winners like Halle Berry, Taraji P. Henson, and Diahann Carroll brought the room to tears on at least a half dozen occasions through deeply emotional speeches and remarks.
Apart from that, organizers behind the magazine's Oscar-week event seemed to cover all the details, creating a glittery look—including platinum carpeting, a tufted stage set in ivory dupioni, lush white blooms of ivory garden roses and hydrangea spilling from cut crystal bowls on tabletops, and napkins festooned with rhinestone buckles—that evoked pre-recession opulence.
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Award Season, Oscars, Essence Magazine, Lexus, MasterCard, Moët & Chandon, Coty |
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| NEWS 01.26.09 4:31 PM |
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Oscar Governors Ball Preview: Bamboo, Sushi, Bonsai Trees
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 | A Governors Ball tabletop
Photo: BizBash |
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In a year marked by tough economic times, an over-the-top, glittery, sequined Oscar ball might not seem like the most appropriate choice. That's one reason you can expect to see a Zen-looking party space inspired by the elements of water, air, fire, wood, and earth for the academy's annual Governors Ball following this year's Academy Awards on February 22.
Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions will again produce the party—which will take to the grand ballroom at Hollywood & Highland following the awards at the Kodak Theatre in the same complex—with ball chair Cheryl Boone Isaacs. It's Boone Isaacs' seventh year as chair, and Cecchetto has worked on the event for more than two decades. "I've always wanted to work with an East-meets-West Asian theme," said Cecchetto at a press preview of the decor earlier today. "In this economy, we wanted to go with a pared-down look, but still elegant and beautiful."
Boone Isaacs added, "One of our things is that we want to make each year completely different from the last. [The use of the organic] elements is kind of like a breath of fresh air—totally different."
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Oscars, Award Season, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sterling Vineyards, Moët & Chandon, Patron |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.08.08 10:49 AM |
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Chelsea Handler Hosts Intimate Elle Awards in "Clean, Crisp" Setting
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 | An acrylic fountain on Elle's stage
Photo: Donato Sardella |
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A scant 200 guests made the invitee list for Elle’s Women in Hollywood event Monday night at the Four Seasons. Chelsea Handler assumed hosting duties for the event, which honored Hollywood icons including Halle Berry, Jane Fonda, Catherine Hardwicke, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Sigourney Weaver, and Isla Fisher.
Elle’s Eric Johnson oversaw the event for the magazine and worked with Larry Abel/De-signs for production. “The aesthetic we are going with this year is very clean, crisp, fresh—something that we feel is in line with Elle,” said Caitlin Weiskopf, the magazine's special events and merchandising manager, who also worked on the event.
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Elle, Chelsea Handler, Moët & Chandon, Calvin Klein |
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