When Saks Fifth Avenue held its 2004 Key to the Cure kickoff party at Gotham Hall, event designer Jason Townsend and host Amy Sacco transformed the Midtown venue into a party of pink fabric and feathers. Key to the Cure, launched by Saks in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and its Women’s Cancer Research Fund, is a national women’s cancer initiative raising funds through a nationwide shopping weekend.
Mercedes-Benz USA, sponsor of the initiative, built the exclusive 2005 SLK350 Launch Edition roadster especially for Key to the Cure and parked one outside Gotham Hall for the event.
Townsend and Sacco wanted all.phpects of the event to be pink, highlighting the signature color of women’s cancer charities. They even traded in the classic red carpet for a pink one. Inside the hall guests were surrounded by décor designs carried out by David Beahm Designs, including a pink bengaline draped bar fringed with pink grosgrain ribbon and topped with a 15-foot centerpiece. Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging lit the space in various shades of pink, while DJ Donna D’Cruz spun music from a bright pink DJ booth.
Chef & Company catered the event with a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres including rosemary scented baby lamb chops and smoked Scottish salmon in crepes. For dessert guests were served miniature cones of handmade pink cotton candy, long-stem strawberries covered in dark and white chocolate and mini cheesecake lollipops.
Polaroid added a funky, kitschy vibe by providing a lounge where guests could have a pre-Halloween costume party. Saks provided various hats, boas, and other fun accessories for guests to dress up for a photo they could take home with them. Graff also had a lounge where guests entered a raffle to win a 1.8-carat yellow Graff diamond.
—Anna Sekula
Photos by David Beahm Designs Inc.
Mercedes-Benz USA, sponsor of the initiative, built the exclusive 2005 SLK350 Launch Edition roadster especially for Key to the Cure and parked one outside Gotham Hall for the event.
Townsend and Sacco wanted all.phpects of the event to be pink, highlighting the signature color of women’s cancer charities. They even traded in the classic red carpet for a pink one. Inside the hall guests were surrounded by décor designs carried out by David Beahm Designs, including a pink bengaline draped bar fringed with pink grosgrain ribbon and topped with a 15-foot centerpiece. Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging lit the space in various shades of pink, while DJ Donna D’Cruz spun music from a bright pink DJ booth.
Chef & Company catered the event with a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres including rosemary scented baby lamb chops and smoked Scottish salmon in crepes. For dessert guests were served miniature cones of handmade pink cotton candy, long-stem strawberries covered in dark and white chocolate and mini cheesecake lollipops.
Polaroid added a funky, kitschy vibe by providing a lounge where guests could have a pre-Halloween costume party. Saks provided various hats, boas, and other fun accessories for guests to dress up for a photo they could take home with them. Graff also had a lounge where guests entered a raffle to win a 1.8-carat yellow Graff diamond.
—Anna Sekula
Photos by David Beahm Designs Inc.
For Saks Fifth Avenue’s Key to the Cure event at Gotham Hall, Jason Townsend and Amy Sacco designed an oval bar and its 15-foot pink feather and floral centerpiece, which sat on pink carpet inside the former bank's teller walls.
A cocktail area with mirrored Plexiglas-topped cube tables and pale pink banquettes provided by Kadan Productions. gave guests space to relax with their drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
David Beahm Designs draped areas of the hall including the entrance with pink voile and diamond tufted pink velvet backdrops.
DJ Donna D’Cruz entertained guests with music from a vibrant pink DJ booth.
