At El Museo del Barrio's May 24 gala, the spotlight was on guests' faces—or rather, what they held in front of them. Elaborate masks created by well-known designers such as Michael Kors, Ralph Rucci, and Carolina Herrera were auctioned in advance of the evening, providing another fund-raising tool (the museum is undergoing a major renovation) and some eye candy for the party itself, with footlong feathers, streaming gold chains, a drawing of the Chrysler Building, and leopard skin topped with leopard fur decorating the various masks.
The tradition of mask-making dates back to indigenous cultures in South and Central America. The museum has several masks in its collection, but the inspiration for the masked ball actually came from a modern invention: window shopping.When illustrator Ruben Toledo designed masks for a Barneys New York window featuring mannequins in his wife Isabel's clothing line (Ruben created the "Latins From Manhattan" painting for last year's El Museo gala), inspiration struck. Jonathan Marder and his team at General Strategic Marketing suggested a masked ball for this year's event and brought in more than 40 designers to donate the masks. The theme—and Ruben's influence—extended to the invitations and the projections on the wall, both of which featured fun silhouettes of hands holding masks done by the artist himself.
Aside from the masks, the lighting provided most of the drama. Cipriani 42nd Street's in-house designers, Star Group Productions, covered the walls with wild stripes for the cocktail hour, then switched to an exotic leaf motif when dinner began. The largely Latin crowd mingled during cocktails, occasionally stopping to pose for the many photographers trolling about. Horns announced dinnertime, followed by dancing.
The tradition of mask-making dates back to indigenous cultures in South and Central America. The museum has several masks in its collection, but the inspiration for the masked ball actually came from a modern invention: window shopping.When illustrator Ruben Toledo designed masks for a Barneys New York window featuring mannequins in his wife Isabel's clothing line (Ruben created the "Latins From Manhattan" painting for last year's El Museo gala), inspiration struck. Jonathan Marder and his team at General Strategic Marketing suggested a masked ball for this year's event and brought in more than 40 designers to donate the masks. The theme—and Ruben's influence—extended to the invitations and the projections on the wall, both of which featured fun silhouettes of hands holding masks done by the artist himself.
Aside from the masks, the lighting provided most of the drama. Cipriani 42nd Street's in-house designers, Star Group Productions, covered the walls with wild stripes for the cocktail hour, then switched to an exotic leaf motif when dinner began. The largely Latin crowd mingled during cocktails, occasionally stopping to pose for the many photographers trolling about. Horns announced dinnertime, followed by dancing.
Photo: BizBash
Architect Hugh Hardy titled his homage to the Chrysler Building "
Photo: BizBash
The Real de Mexico mariachi band set the tone outside Cipriani 42nd Street, entertaining arriving guests and passersby.
Photo: BizBash
The mask theme extended to waiters and bartenders, who served mojitos and Cipriani's signature bellinis during the cocktail hour.
Photo: BizBash
The masks that didn't sell beforehand were available for purchase for $500 at the event. Several maskless guests—including Isabel and Ruben Toledo—took advantage of the offer.
Photo: BizBash
Aside from the lighting and the masks, the decor was fairly simple: a plated orchid on a leaf at each seat and tall candelabras.
Photo: BizBash
