Bergdorf Goodman's Anniversary Gala by Bronson van Wyck
"The second the guests crossed the threshold, they were transported to another world, through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole. We raided Bergdorf’s warehouse and brought scenic elements from iconic window displays over the past 111 years—this was their 111th anniversary after all." —Bronson van Wyck
Photo: Billy Farrell/BFAnyc.com
Barbie's Dream Closet at New York Fashion Week
"We wanted to create a space where guests could dream about being whoever they wanted to be. By playing with scale, technology, and theater we created a space that inspired young and old souls alike." —Nicky Balestrieri
Photo: BFA
After a move to Las Vegas, Maxim's annual Hot 100 event returned to Los Angeles this year. Taking over SBE's newest property, Create (formerly Vanguard), the Visionary Group transformed the raw space into an ode to American summer nights. Outside, the patio had a bonfire built into a real sandpit.
Photo: Nick Corradi
At a 40th birthday party, Susan Holland Events filled the Stephan Weiss Studio in New York with disco ball lights and projected French surrealist films, while a swing hung near the dance floor.
Photo: Jamie Watts
At a wedding designed by Triton Productions, the focal point of the pre- and post-ceremony cocktail area at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach was a custom-designed 360-degree bar made of corrugated mirror.
Photo: Donnanewman.com
Moooi showed a line of hanging lamps that look like modern disco balls.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Motorized solar systems provided a centrepiece for the high-top cocktail tables.
Photo: Josh Fee for BizBash
Once inside the party space, guests were met by a towering birthday “cake” composed of more than 40 whitewashed vintage TVs playing old Food Network clips. Two days later, the design was repurposed for the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Tacos & Tequila bash, with the televisions playing clips from event sponsor NY1.
Photo: Marion Curtis/StarPix
At the 12th annual Screen Actors Guild awards gala, event designer Stanlee R. Gatti assembled calla lilies in upside down formations in a tent adjacent to the Shrine Auditorium.
In the smoking tent, Gatti encircled the poles that buttressed the columns with gardenias.
Museum of Modern Art's Benefit
"The concept was to take MoMA’s ‘Party in the Garden’ and have it continue as the ‘Dinner in the Garden’ with a modern approach—classic roots, fruit trees, massive topiary cones, and French symmetry." —David Monn
Photo: Brian Dorsey Studios
Crate & Barrel 50th Anniversary by Tom Kehoe
"It was an honor to feel trusted and believed in by Carole Segal, who set the standard of retail design, not to mention the thrill of working with original pieces from the very beginning of Crate & Barrel." —Tom Kehoe
Photo: Ryan Sjostrom
Moët Hennessey and 'Wallpaper' Magazine Dinner by Lewis Miller
"This corporate dinner needed to merge two very different companies: the lavish aspect of Moët Hennessey and the modern, urban edge of Wallpaper magazine. We played with contrast and scale by creating a floating garden overhead while the actual surface of the table was merely a strict double row of square glass votive candles." —Lewis Miller
Photo: Gustavo Campos Photography
Wedding Preview Event by Matthew Parker
"I wanted the entrance to this indie wedding show in Seattle to have the maximum amount of wow factor but be totally familiar in its materials." —Matthew Parker
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Parker
"Ocean Kingdom" Dinner by Antony Todd
"The fluid silks lining the ceiling, puddles of votives above the dance floor, and water pools on the tabletops instead of flowers created a watery, underwater, ethereal setting." —Antony Todd
Photo: Courtesy of Antony Todd
At the Zing vodka launch, the press wall took the form of a hedge with 2,000 roses spelling out the brand's name.
Photo: Sean Twomey/2me Studios
For consistent brand messaging, the event's organizers placed strips of Kate Young for Target carpeting over the venue's existing steps, which were side lit with spotlights for an extra bit of fashionable flair.
Photo: Jim Shi
To underscore the Backyard Ball's new name, Wow Factor Marketing Group gave the gala a homelike, rustic look.
Photo: World Red Eye
Stella McCartney Pre-Fall 2012 Presentation
At McCartney's New York presentation, a custom topiary spelling out the designer's name stood in the garden of restaurant One if by Land, Two if by Sea. It was visible to guests through the windows.
Photo: Joe Schildhorn/BFAnyc.com
Grammy Foundation Legacy Concert
Elite Productions International designed the Grammy party's floral decor, which appeared to float. The primarily purple blooms were placed at angles and varying heights for visual interest and decked the reception areas and performers' greenrooms.
Photo: Cynthia Halverson
Each flower was hand made and comprised of custom-printed stock, crepe paper, and tissue paper.
Photo: Claire Barrett Photography
Gloved hands poked through a rose-covered wall to offer shots and desserts at the Zing vodka launch.
Photo: Sean Twomey/2me Studios
Matthew Parker Events crafted lighting fixtures for a speakeasy-themed wedding using hats from a party supply store, decorative ribbon, corded wire, and filament bulbs.
Photo: Yvonne Wong
Paris Fashion Week
For what would turn out to be his final show as creative director of Dior, Raf Simons, on October 2, turned the Louvre's palace courtyard into a fragrant blooming peak. Landscape artist Eric Chauvin spent 18 days culling enough delphinium blossoms and soil to create the biodynamic set for the Paris Fashion Week outing.
Photo: Alessandro Garofalo/Indigitalimages.com
