| EVENT REPORT 03.16.09 4:07 PM |
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| Dueling Decades |
| The relaunch party for '80s eyewear label Carrera brought old and new together with a contemporary DJ set and a throwback performance by Debbie Harry. |
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More than 1,000 guests turned up for an exercise in nostalgia at the Angel Orensanz Foundation Friday night, when Carrera relaunched its vintage sunglasses line with a party that sought to bridge the gap between the shades' 1980s heyday and today's market. Taylor Momsen, Tyson Beckford, and Agyness Deyn all made appearances to see the night's biggest draw, a performance by Debbie Harry.
Carrera parent company Safilo USA charged BMF Media Group with conceptualizing and producing the event, which maintained a tight focus on images from the advertising campaign. Photographs of models in the brightly colored glasses hung beside the venue's entrace, served as backdrops to the four bars, and flashed across strategically placed television monitors. The glasses themselves littered the room, encased in table displays and fixed to the wall behind the stage. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Much of the crowd from the V.I.P. balcony headed down to the floor just before Harry's performance.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | Each side of the stage had its own display of glasses and Carrera's new advertising images.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | DJs Mia Moretti and Jesse Marco eyed each other from across the stage all night, while they alternated songs from separate DJ booths.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | Guests pillaged displays of sunglasses, swapping the pairs for makeshift swag.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | Former Blondie singer Debbie Harry hit the stage at 11:30 p.m. for a three-song set.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | Golden couches from Signature Event Rentals anchored the upstairs seating areas for V.I.P.s including Taylor Momsen, Tyson Beckford, and Agyness Deyn.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | Giant pillows set up on the balcony's wide stairs provided more casual seating for many of the guests.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | Skyy Vodka sponsored the party's four bars, all of which had a menu of signature cocktails designed for the event.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | DJ Jesse Marco paid tribute to the brand with a set that included songs from today and the '80s.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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 | BMF Media drew attention to the party by lighting the facade of the Angel Orensanz Foundation red.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash |
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DJs Jesse Marco and Mia Moretti took turns with each song change, bouncing between '80s music and current tunes from their two DJ booths before Debbie Harry took the stage just after 11:30 p.m. She only stayed for a three-song set, but it was enough to get much of the crowd in the V.I.P. balcony to descend to the dance floor. They didn't leave their roost without new pairs of glasses, though—something other guests acquired by swiping the decor. Most of the product showcases were empty long before the event started winding down.
The party marked the first step in Safilo's reintroduction of the brand. A six-month campaign to solidify the brand's identity sees its next initative later this week, when Carrera lends its name to a hospitality café and gifting suite at Austin's Moonshine Cafe during the last three days of South by Southwest.
—Michael O'Connell
RELATED TOPICS
Carerra, Safilo, Debbie Harry, South by Southwest, Skyy Vodka
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