For the second year running, writers, publishing executives and literary fans gathered at Liberty Grand for a the Book Lover's Ball, $350-a-plate black-tie fund-raiser in support of the Toronto Public Library Foundation. Writers in attendance included journalist and author Peter C. Newman, journalist and author Allan Fotheringham, cookbook author Rose Reisman, and science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, who was awarded the 2007 Toronto Public Library Celebrates Reading Award. Margaret Atwood, last year's winner, joined the proceedings from the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo via LongPen—the remote-controlled autographing and video-conferencing device she helped invent. The master of ceremonies was Seamus O'Regan, co-host of Canada AM.The evening began with a cocktail reception, during which guests perused the goods on sale in the silent auction. MMD, Solutions with Impact and TPLF worked together to create a look for the silent auction space that resembled a classic library setting. Liberty Grand executive chef Michael Ewing served appetizers inspired by the recipes of Chris Knight and Rob Rainford of the Food Network's License to Grill. The dining room decor featured silver-toned linens and chair covers from Have A Seat, and tall glass vase centrepieces filled with branches and blooms and imprinted faintly with the event name. Ewing's dinner offering was inspired by two more cookbook authors, Angie MacRae and sommelier Stacey Metulynsky, hosts of the Food Network's This Food, That Wine. The menu included roast vegetable terrine with endive salad and pumpernickel croutons and, for the main course, roasted beef tenderloin and braised short ribs with chipotle sweet potato gratin and rainbow chard.
The hit of last year's gala was a novel-inspired fashion show. Recognizing a good thing when they saw it, the event organizers reprised the show this year, taping Chum reporter and In Fashion host Glen Baxter as narrator. The show was comprised of eight chapters and, no surprise, one of which was author Laura Weisberger's bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, with clothing designs by Izzy Camilleri. Designer Wayne Clark and Syd Silver Formals provided the fashions for a playful chapter on the Ian Flemming classic Casino Royale, while fashion house Zenobia supplied the outfits for the chapter on Lawrence of Arabia: The Life, The Legend, by author Malcolm Brown.
Erika Larva of Monarch Events Group, Elizabeth Walsh, and Pauline Brown produced the fashion show with lighting and music by Event Services Group. Contemporary Furniture Rentals embellished the show space with small and large vignettes of flowers and books, and decorative treatments inscribed with famous literary quotes and hung from the ceiling. Afterwards, the Starz Band with Liberty Silver provided dance music.
—Robyn Small
Posted 03.22.07
The hit of last year's gala was a novel-inspired fashion show. Recognizing a good thing when they saw it, the event organizers reprised the show this year, taping Chum reporter and In Fashion host Glen Baxter as narrator. The show was comprised of eight chapters and, no surprise, one of which was author Laura Weisberger's bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, with clothing designs by Izzy Camilleri. Designer Wayne Clark and Syd Silver Formals provided the fashions for a playful chapter on the Ian Flemming classic Casino Royale, while fashion house Zenobia supplied the outfits for the chapter on Lawrence of Arabia: The Life, The Legend, by author Malcolm Brown.
Erika Larva of Monarch Events Group, Elizabeth Walsh, and Pauline Brown produced the fashion show with lighting and music by Event Services Group. Contemporary Furniture Rentals embellished the show space with small and large vignettes of flowers and books, and decorative treatments inscribed with famous literary quotes and hung from the ceiling. Afterwards, the Starz Band with Liberty Silver provided dance music.
—Robyn Small
Posted 03.22.07
Zenobia provided the outfits for a fashion show segment about Malcolm Brown's book Lawrence of Arabia: The Life, The Legend during the Toronto Library Foundation's Book Lovers Ball at the Liberty Grand.
Silver-toned linens from Have A Seat covered the dining tables and chairs.
A whimsical tree of quotations from MMD spruced up the foyer in the main entrance.
The silent auction featured classic books, which were carved or altered into unusual art pieces.
Literary quotations embellished odd-shaped decorative pieces hung from the ceiling.
MMD created vignettes of books and florals in the fashion show lounge area.
