It began with a little black box: a unique invitation containing a booklet of images and words including "Wow," "Neato," "Sweet," "Groovy," and "Flaunt It!" The last was the name of the party celebrating Yorkdale shopping mall's retail expansion launch. Concrete designed the invites.
OverCat Communications worked with Peter Somers of Contemporary Furniture Rentals and Nicholas Pinney of Nicholas Pinney Design to create the relaunch party, which feted the conclusion of the $60 million expansion. The result was a branding extravaganza. At the entrance, Earthwork tied back a 20-foot red drape with fresh carnations. The event was closed to mall patrons; attendees included the mall's retail vendors and executives related to the construction effort.
Guests dined on appetizers by Marigolds & Onions, which included five-spice duck pancakes, seared foie gras, and tandoori chicken with basmati rice served by caterwaiters from The Butler Did It. Three-tiered food stations displayed tenderloin of beef with saut?ed mushrooms on Yorkshire pudding and seared tuna tempura rolls. The bar menu was every bit as creative, including beverages like "Lipstick," a combination of champagne, .phpberry puree, and fresh .phpberries; "Passion," made from champagne with passion fruit puree and coconut milk; and "Choco-nana," created from champagne, banana liqueur, and a splash of cr?me de cacao, and garnished with a chocolate cigar.
Artist Thomas McAneney was commissioned to create more than 25 20-foot statues painted in black and white couture designs patterned with Yorkdale's relaunch logo. A runway was set up in the main aisle with a group of live statues performing for the crowd. The Big Frock by Will Alsop of Alsop & Partners, which made its debut at the 2005 Interior Design Show, was suspended above the catering tent and was accented with swatches of brand printed organza fabric.
By the evening's end, guests had been wined and dined, all while getting to shop at the more than 40 new retail stores before they opened to the public the next morning. Attendees received a parting gift of logo-emblazoned black, white, and green umbrellas from Why-steria Marketing.
—Robyn Small
OverCat Communications worked with Peter Somers of Contemporary Furniture Rentals and Nicholas Pinney of Nicholas Pinney Design to create the relaunch party, which feted the conclusion of the $60 million expansion. The result was a branding extravaganza. At the entrance, Earthwork tied back a 20-foot red drape with fresh carnations. The event was closed to mall patrons; attendees included the mall's retail vendors and executives related to the construction effort.
Guests dined on appetizers by Marigolds & Onions, which included five-spice duck pancakes, seared foie gras, and tandoori chicken with basmati rice served by caterwaiters from The Butler Did It. Three-tiered food stations displayed tenderloin of beef with saut?ed mushrooms on Yorkshire pudding and seared tuna tempura rolls. The bar menu was every bit as creative, including beverages like "Lipstick," a combination of champagne, .phpberry puree, and fresh .phpberries; "Passion," made from champagne with passion fruit puree and coconut milk; and "Choco-nana," created from champagne, banana liqueur, and a splash of cr?me de cacao, and garnished with a chocolate cigar.
Artist Thomas McAneney was commissioned to create more than 25 20-foot statues painted in black and white couture designs patterned with Yorkdale's relaunch logo. A runway was set up in the main aisle with a group of live statues performing for the crowd. The Big Frock by Will Alsop of Alsop & Partners, which made its debut at the 2005 Interior Design Show, was suspended above the catering tent and was accented with swatches of brand printed organza fabric.
By the evening's end, guests had been wined and dined, all while getting to shop at the more than 40 new retail stores before they opened to the public the next morning. Attendees received a parting gift of logo-emblazoned black, white, and green umbrellas from Why-steria Marketing.
—Robyn Small
Event designer Nicholas Pinney of Nicholas Pinney Design hung a massive red drape with carnation tiebacks from Earthwork at the relaunch party for the Yorkdale shopping mall, called "Flaunt It!"
Contemporary Furniture's plexiglass bars were created in red and decorated with arrangements from Earthwork.
Artist Thomas McAneney was commissioned to create statues wearing one-of-a-kind couture costumes fashioned from Yorkdale retailers' store branding.
Individual servings of seared tuna appetizers from Marigolds & Onions were set on tiered buffet stations by Nicholas Pinney Design.
