Decor

Syzygy Events International returned as the visionaries behind the staging and decor for the Washington fund-raiser on Saturday night. The team created a completely different look at the National Building Museum than last year’s flower-filled fete, opting for a more modern look with emerald accents—in honor of the color’s designation as color of the year.

There were lots of big minds at the Green Meetings Industry Council conference at Chicago's McCormick Place last week, but one head stood out for being particularly huge. In a convention center foyer, an art installation from the nonprofit group Plant Green Ideas got lots of gapes. Standing 12 feet tall and weighing nearly 3,000 pounds, the sculptural head was built on a planter made of recycled concrete. On the back of the head, a QR code linked to information about the environment.

Tarte Cosmetics hosted a launch party April 4 for Aqualillies for Tarte at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. Schaffer's Genuine Foods catered the event, and the snacks had an appropriately summery vibe. Along with white sangria, grilled honey-rosemary shrimp skewers, and key-lime cheesecake pops, the menu included teeny shrimp tacos served in lime halves.

For right-on-trend festival looks, a flower-crown station at Lacoste's Desert Pool Party allowed guests to pick up garlands to wear on the spot—in exchange for a posting on social media. The music festival takes place at Empire Polo Field in Palm Springs over the course of two weekends; it started last week and wraps up this Sunday.

A new art piece on the festival grounds called "Mirage," envisioned by festival art curator Paul Clemente and created and executed by experiential design and media company Pearl Media Productions, took the form and architecture of a mid-century Palms Springs mansion. A total of 12 zones of high-tech HD projections made it appear that changing activities were taking place inside the home's rooms and its pool.

Karl Lagerfeld designed the Bal de la Rose du Rocher, a fund-raiser for the Foundation Princesse Grace that took place at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo on March 23. In the dining room, Lagerfeld evoked the casino of Monaco's famous Hôtel Hermitage. Tables were draped in cotton sateen printed with a game-table motif, then topped with dice and custom gaming chips. Gold and silver vessels held red Baccara roses, peonies, and poppies.

To celebrate the launch of the Kate Young for Target collection, the retail giant created a spring-fling-themed evening at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral school in New York on April 9. Right after check-in, 20 models posed on a runway-cum-stage setup. Paired as prom-night couples, with each female model wearing a Kate Young for Target dress, the lineup encouraged guests to vote for the best dressed couple by tweeting or instagramming pictures with the #KateYoungTarget hashtag.

Themed "the Grand Tour of Asia," the April issue of Condé Nast Traveler chronicles editor at large Hanya Yanagihara's journey through 12 countries. On March 19, the magazine hosted a launch party for the special issue at the Peninsula Chicago. To bring an exotic touch of Asia to the Chicago hotel, ballroom walls displayed moving projections of a colorful koi pond.

The Starlight Children's Foundation hosted its Starlight Gala, sponsored by Toys "R" Us, at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel on April 6. Organizers created a whimsical bash filled with circus-inspired ideas. Dinner tables were topped with miniature Ferris wheels that held cupcakes with colorful frosting.

At the April 10 New Museum spring gala honoring artist Christian Marclay, guests arriving at New York's Cipriani Wall Street were met with a larger-than-life live installation of white PVC balloons.

With a "Painted Garden" theme, Macy's Flower Show is ringing in spring in New York. The event features a giant high heel made of live flowers. The larger-than-life accessory, designed by Macy's and landscape design company Ireland Gannon, used more than 9,000 succulents to create a covering of floral "suede." A suitably enormous bouquet sprouts from the heel of the shoe. The show runs through Sunday.

On March 27, Gc Watches hosted its "Moments of Smart Luxury" event at Malaparte in the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. The event, part of the company's global "Smart Luxury" campaign, was produced by Candice & Alison. It featured an elaborate dessert display from cake artist Alexandria Pellegrino of Cake Opera. Pellegrino was one of the evening's featured "rising stars" whose work embodies smart luxury, and her decadent display offered chocolate cupcakes, toasted almond meringues, and ganache butter cookies.

On March 22, seven high-ranking representatives of the Bank of China took picks to a seven-foot ice sculpture. To announce the bank's new Chicago branch, the company collaborated with Jack Morton Worldwide to hold an attention-grabbing stunt that put a spin on a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. At the Four Seasons Hotel, the bank reps chiseled away white blocks on Nadeau's ice sculpture, and the word "Chicago" was ultimately revealed in bright red font.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington hosted its Family Days during the weekend of March 22. Held at the National Building Museum, the two-day event included educational and family-focused activities. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom suspended oversize cutouts of cherry-blossom blooms and Japanese paper fans from the ceiling of the museum.

Redmoon Theater, the Chicago company known for dreamy, surrealistic pieces of "spectacle," hosted the aptly named "Spectacle Lunatique" at its Pilsen headquarters March 9. Dubbed the "champagne chandelier," a fixture dripping with bottles and stemware hung 25 feet above the crowd. An aerialist descended from the center of the fixture on long swaths of silk and poured bubbly into guests' flutes.

Zagat's "30 Under 30" series honors young talent in the culinary industry, and an event to celebrate Chicago's winners took place at Nellcote on March 25. Shiraz Events produced the sleek affair, which focused squarely on the evening's honorees with an award ceremony and a branded wall of fame. Showcasing the young winners—who included food truck owners, chefs, and pastry chefs—the structure held 30 head shots that were illuminated from within. An oversize rendition of the event's logo was at the center of the wall.

Visual artist Jing Yu creates custom piñatas in the likeness of the person of your choice, whether it's the boss, a V.I.P., or a fictional character. To top it off, she also stuffs her papier-mâché creations with treats fit for the occasion. Yu is currently working on her M.F.A. at Rutgers University, and her custom creations start at $250.

Guests at a launch party for the Diesel & Edun collection March 23 feasted on snacks served in bamboo shoots. Held at Ron Herman Melrose boutique in Los Angeles, the event had qualities inspired by the collection itself: sustainability and modern Africa. With catering from Mauro Cafe—the in-house restaurant at the posh store—the event's menu featured African-inspired small bites that were served in bamboo disposables, including the shoots.

Live musical acts are borrowing inspiration from the evocative era of the 1920s. Costumed entertainers  from Elan Artists took the stage at a collaboration between the New York Botanical Garden and Stephen Starr Events on March 20.

The multisensory vehicle launch, held at New York's Skylight at Moynihan Station on March 26, kicked off with a live countdown set against images of the Manhattan skyline. By arranging the party space in tiers, Imagination created sight lines for as many guests as possible.