David Rodgers did the design and production for the exhibition's opening-night party, which took place on January 10 at the Wilshire May Company Building. A lounge area had a Studio 54 theme and was decked in disco balls; furniture was swathed in Diane von Furstenberg-like prints.
Parked in front of the event, a car had a pattern that recalled Diane von Furstenberg's famously bold prints.
At the 2013 event, Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum was filled with pink-and-black lounge furniture inspired by Viktor & Rolf's signature brand hues.
At the 2010 opening, organizers played off the fashion house's roots as a purveyor of saddles and harnesses. Young equestrians assisted with the ribbon-cutting ceremony that kicked off the event, and two stilt walkers with horse costumes flanked the entrance. The "horses" were wearing custom Hermès suits.
In 2009, HBO’s 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards post-award reception had a Paul Poiret-inspired look from Billy Butchkavitz. Red roses—Poiret's logo on his dress labels—filled 140 low black glass vases on tables throughout the space.
At the 2009 launch for Louis Vuitton's collaboration with Stephen Sprouse, Brooklyn Guild designed a hallway that led to the main room. Created as a second area for photographers to snap pictures of guests, the tunnel was marked with Stephen Sprouse-Louis Vuitton graffiti and covered with a color-changing ceiling.
In 2011, Donatella Versace hosted a bash in New York to celebrate her collaboration with H&M. It took place at Pier 57, a site dubbed “Versace for H&M Hall on the Hudson” for the night. Two long bars were erected at opposite sides of the space, boasting 18-foot-high walls and a sprawling palm-print motif as a backdrop.
At the 2011 event in New York, Creative Edge served a bevy of hors d'oeuvres and desserts such as macarons on custom Missoni-inspired trays lined with bold prints.
According to Raúl Àvila, who has produced the benefit's decor since 2007, "surrealist whimsy" influenced his ideas for the event. In the center of the museum's Great Hall sat a custom-built, 24-foot-tall cylinder covered in white roses, with red roses inserted in a large-scale lip pattern inspired by Schiaparelli and Prada designs. A total of 40,000 roses were used in the installation.
Classic Italian cuisine inspired the 2012 Met Ball's evening’s menu, which began with an appetizer of whole baby lobster (an homage to Schiaparelli's famous lobster-print dress) accompanied by a julienne of vegetables with caviar.
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.
For the 2012 event in Chicago, planners took inspiration from Yves Saint Laurent, and more specifically from the designer's Moroccan home, the Jardin Majorelle. To evoke the exotic setting, a scented fountain filled with oranges and candles spruced up the dance floor, where the Stu Hirsch Orchestra played at the end of the evening.
At the 2010 store reopening, guests could play with 30 custom Chanel spray-paint cans, which interacted with LED screens to make temporary graffiti.
At the 2012 event in Las Vegas, as a reference to the pearls adored by Coco Chanel, producers hung curtains of white beads at various points throughout the exhibit. Stepping through the beaded curtain, guests could view rare and special Chanel accessories and jewelry displayed inside gilded bird cages.
The beauty editor brunch to preview Betsey Johnson's fragrance Too Too was held at Milk Gallery in 2011. Organizers took advantage of the clean spare look of the space—and channeled the designer's girly vibe—by creating a ballet-studio-like setting. Ballet dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy posed in the gallery windows.
This year's festival had eight stages and featured some 130 acts including Eminem, Lorde, and Outkast.
In the park, Samsung's Galaxy Experience had several tents with different activities. In one tent, guests could use the Galaxy Tab S to order lemonade. Using Samsung's new streaming service, Milk Music, guests then picked a favorite genre of music, which matched up with a particular flavor of the drink. Those who liked indie music, for example, were offered strawberry lemonade. PMK-BNC handles marketing activations for the brand.
In another area of the Galaxy Experience, guests could take selfies on the Galaxy S 5, then use a Milk Music dial to change the filter. The lounge had carpets and tufted leather couches that lent a homey vibe.
In the brand's V.I.P. area, Catering by Michael's offered a champagne popsicle bar. The treats came in flavors such as honeydew-ginger and blackberry-rose.
The area had a "glamping" theme and served treats such as s'mores in Mason jars. Catering by Michael's handled food as well as cocktails in the lounge.
The Participation Agency created an activation for Red Bull Sound Select. Within the space, there was a V.I.P. lounge for artist interviews and for guests to lounge; the area was decked with carpets, soft furniture, and a cooler stocked with Red Bull.
Guests who signed up for Red Bull Sound Select could charge their phones for free in secure lockers within the tent.
In a V.I.P. area known as the "Lolla Lounge," Dobel Tequila offered drink samples at a sleek pop-up piano bar.
BMF Media once again produced the lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel, which served as an off-grounds retreat for artists, media, and other tastemakers. Open for daytime and nighttime events, the lounge offered cocktails, concerts, and hairstyling services from Red 7 Salon.
On Saturday, Gilt City returned to EnV Chicago for its annual rooftop pool party. This year's featured performer was Betty Who, who also sang at Lollapalooza. Platinum Events handled production.
Inside the rooftop venue, guests could have their makeup touched up by artists from sponsor Benefit Cosmetics.
Dentologie, a Chicago dental practice, had a table with cupcakes decorated with crumbled graham crackers to look like sand and peppermint candies to look like beach balls. Dental hygienists staffing the booth gave guests cupcakes as well as free toothbrushes so that they could (theoretically) brush their teeth after eating the sugary treats.
On Thursday, M.A.C. Cosmetics hosted a launch party for its new Mia Moretti collection, which is inspired by Lollapalooza and festival fashion, at Fulton Market Kitchen. As guests dined, artist Blue Logan painted the scene on a large canvas set up along one wall of the dining room. BMF Media Group produced.
At the dinner, stylist, artist, and Mia Moretti's close friend Cleo Wade wrote custom poems for guests on a vintage typewriter. Wade would ask guests "how is your heart?" or "what are your favorite things?" before beginning to type.
In keeping with the arty atmosphere, guests could use crayons to doodle on paper tablecloths. Attendees included musicians Joe Jonas and Emily Kokal and Jenny Lee Lindberg of the band Warpaint.
Soho House Chicago opens on August 11, but the property hosted a preview party for musicians and select members of the press on Saturday. The event offered Grey Goose vodka cocktails, samples of the Soho House menu (including herb-filled bream and peach crumble), and a surprise performance from Jon Batiste & Stay Human. During the acoustic set, the band strolled around the venue and performed on bar tops.
Lollapalooza took place in Chicago's Grant Park August 1 to 3. In the park, Samsung's Galaxy Experience let guests use the Galaxy Tab S to order lemonade. Using Samsung's new streaming service, Milk Music, guests then picked a favorite genre of music, which matched up with a particular flavor of the drink. Those who liked indie music, for example, were offered strawberry lemonade.
To celebrate the release of author Ben Mezrich's book Seven Wonders, the W Boston Hotel hosted a book party on September 4. Reflecting the book's international theme, food displays were decked with atlases, and international postcards served as food signage. Snacks included assorted naans, Middle Eastern breads and dips, handmade dumplings, and Greek cheeses.
To celebrate the opening of its store in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Ikea teamed up with Parisian event agency Ubi Bene to create a vertical apartment that also functioned as a rock-climbing wall from September 10 to 14. Ikea furniture decorated the wall and served as handy rest stops for those climbing the structure.
Planning an office holiday party? Get crafty with the 3-D snowflake kit, $13.95, from Paper Source to create a cubicle of flurries. The kit makes four garland strands.
Suited to fall holiday celebrations, Fulton Market Kitchen in Chicago has a "Trust Fall" cocktail. Made with Remy Martin VSOP, burnt-sugar syrup, Tempus Fugit, crème de cacao, egg white, and sea salt, the drink tastes like salted caramel.
Chicago event firm A Perfect Event serves bright red "Holly Jolly" cocktails at holiday gatherings. The fruity drink combines Real Russian vodka with ginger beer and strawberry jam; it's garnished with fresh rosemary and strawberry.
In Austin, the locally sourced goods at Tiny Pies come in a variety of sizes, including the individually wrapped titular three-inch pies, Mason jar pies, and customizable pie pops in either blueberry or cherry, available in the shape of Texas.
Turn guests into cowboys for a day by experiencing Westgate River Ranch’s new cattle drive teambuilding adventure. The excursion begins with breakfast at the ranch at sunrise, followed by a scenic guided horseback ride to gather the herd and drive it across the open land into cow pens. The activity ends with outdoor country-style lunch and lessons in whip-cracking and rope-throwing. In addition to cattle drives, more than a dozen cowboy-theme teambuilding activities are available, including a blindfolded saddle assembly competition and an outdoor adventure course.
Looking for holiday cards? Shine bright in 2015 with the glam beveled acrylic greeting, featuring a gold leaf chevron pattern, from RedBliss Design. Pricing available upon request.
Candy boutique Sugarfina opened a second location at the Americana at Brand in Los Angeles this summer. The confections make for colorful gifts in cocktail-inspired varieties such as champagne gummy bears, spiced rum and Coke gummies, and peach Bellini gummies—all top sellers. The boutique‘s gifts come in its signature turquoise bento boxes, which can be customized with 140 candy varieties from around the world.
Los Angeles-based open-air photo booth Flipbooth creates mini books of photos, similar to old-school animation flipbooks. Guests record a six-second video, and then Flipbooth staffers produce a tiny photo album to replay the action. Backdrops, book covers, and props can be customized to match the event’s theme and decor. Pricing starts at $995.
