Also a first for this year's event was a partnership between the Condé Nast title and Instagram to create a custom studio adjoining the party space, where photographer Mark Seliger shot portraits of guests all night long. "We're aiming to capture a little of the glamour of Oscar night in a timeless yet modern and accessible way," Seliger said in a statement.
Montgomery explained that Essence recently "delivered to market some pretty eye-opening research about how black women view themselves in media. A great deal of messaging around confidence and beauty rose to the top.” To that end, the clear-top cocktail tent included a Target-sponsored “Power of Our Presence” wall where guests could pull a message of inspiration; as the messages were removed, images of Champions honorees appeared beneath the star-shaped installation. Other integrated sponsorships included Lincoln's video capture, the L'Oréal Paris lip bar, and Colgate Optic White red carpet shots that guests could upload and share. Activity around the event’s hashtag, #EssenceRedCarpet, was robust.
A tweet-activated vending machine invited guests to post specific codes to Twitter in exchange for goodies like books, products, and gift certificates, from sponsors like Clarisonic, Giorgio Armani Beauty, and Lancôme.
Food was available all day to guests at the Vanity Fair Social Club, including items from sponsor Chobani Simply 100 Greek yogurt, plus custom recipes for breakfast and afternoon appetizers. FoodInk catered.
