Men’s fashion site JackThreads held a launch party for its new collection of Westbrook Frames—the result of a collaboration with N.B.A. star Russell Westbrook—on February 12 at 214 Lafayette Street in New York. Napkin Killa, an artist who creates caricatures on cocktail napkins, had his own station at the event where he drew portraits of guests. The event was produced by Engine Shop.
A Washington couple’s love of nature inspired the event spaces at an over-the-top joint birthday party in the fall at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington. A custom bar was created with textured faux stone and had real stones at the foot. Water features—normally not allowed in the venue—were contained with Plexiglas. Evoke designed and planned the event.
The first course from Occasions Caterers was served on clear dishes with moss, flowers, and pine needles nestled in between the bowl and the plate, reinforcing the dining room's forest-like decor. The flatware resembled twigs.
The ballroom at Toronto's Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex was packed with a crowd of 2,500 guests for Special Olympics Canada's sold-out Motionball gala on February 6. For the event's 14th year, the planning committee decided on a “Glitz and Graffiti” theme. As guests entered into the Governors Ballroom, a red carpet and structures laden with strands of crystals formed a Hollywood-style entrance.
To mark the launch of a collaboration between Mindy Weiss and Wedding Paper Divas on a new collection, the well-known social event planner and the social stationer hosted an intimate, feminine luncheon at Los Angeles's new Lombardi House on February 25. At the event, guests could fill bags with a custom potpourri mix.
At a soup and sandwich bar from Heirloom L.A. catering, color-blocked paper wrapped sandwiches on the buffet.
Just two days before the Academy Awards in February, fashion designer Tom Ford turned heads by hosting his fall 2015 women’s runway show in Los Angeles. While Ford sat his celebrity friends and media in the first two rows, which featured plush seating in gray velvet, clients and other industry invitees were given equally advantageous viewpoints thanks to a series of 18 "suites"—nine on each side—he had erected on an elevated platform. Entering through custom 12-foot-high walls, the private rooms featured gray velvet drape, gray carpet, and banquette-style seats and were each attended to by a model waitstaff who served preshow champagne.
Anheuser-Busch-owned beverage brand Shock Top launched its summer seasonal Lemon Shandy beverage on February 28 at a Ventura County lemon grove. The food was inspired by Shock Top Belgian White and Shock Top Lemon Shandy beverages, with locally sourced ingredients prepared by Clark Staub, executive chef and owner of Full of Life Flatbread restaurant in Los Alamos. For dessert, the crowd dined on blood orange popsicles with citrus zest and chocolate-covered candied kumquats and Shock Top Lemon Shandy whipped cream.
Fittingly, given that its show fell on Valentine's Day, Moncler Grenoble deemed its fashion week spectacle a "Love Factory." Moving the show out of Manhattan to the Duggal Greenhouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Villa Eugenie created a macroscopic tongue-in-cheek chocolate box from which models emerged in pairs as couples, kissing during the presentation—much to the audience's delight. Centering the show was a young bride and groom dressed in Moncler-meets-matrimony ensembles.
The 390 guests at Thakoon's fall show, held February 15 at Stage37, were greeted by what was described as "a physical manifestation of the Northern Lights." For the Dizon Inc.-produced outing, set designer Jonathon Beck used a new 3M material called Dichroic glass film that, when placed in specific angles, revealed a stunning reflection of the entire color spectrum of light. The abstract light refractions juxtaposed strikingly against an otherwise all-black venue, providing extra impact for the designer's collection.
BarclayCard's lounge at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, was open January 22 to 24 at 364 Main Street. Sponsor Campbell's provided guests the opportunity to make their own soups at a custom, buffet-style soup station.
The soup station offered toppings like tortilla chip slices, sriracha, avocado, and Parmesan cheese.
For candy-theme event inspiration, the launch of Miami's Sugar Factory Ocean Drive last July featured a step-and-repeat flanked by a grass-covered wall that was decorated with lollipops. Live It Productions International produced the event.
King launched its mobile game Candy Crush Soda Saga with a public performance that recreated the game's visuals on New York streets in November. A 20-foot illuminated candy bear floated down Broadway to end the show.
KFC introduced its new Nashville Hot Chicken to media January 14 at a pop-up at Bleecker Event Hall in New York. The event featured a Celebrity Chef Wall that displayed photos of Colonel Sanders.
The fast-food chain's staples, including mini mashed potatoes and gravy bowls, were served at the event.
For kids and family-friendly event ideas, the premiere for Disney-Pixar's Oscar-nominated Inside Out, which was held at the El Capitan Theatre in June 2015, featured interactive games that tested fans' emotions.
The premiere featured cupcake displays inspired by the film's five "emotional" characters—Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness.
Looking for an alternative to the traditional floral centerpiece? For the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario's 2015 fund-raising gala—which took place at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto last April—designer Bill Fulghum substituted giant spools of cotton candy for flowers.
Chicago-based technology company Proxfinity recently created the Bullseye Badge, a wearable device that provides visual notifications to help meeting attendees recognize others with shared interests. The badge shares and organizes contact information for attendees, and also gathers information for event organizers to help them analyze networking patterns.
Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions executed the “romantic rhapsody in red” theme at the 2012 Emmys Governors Ball in Los Angeles with a giant rose concept and copious amounts of the color.
Stoelt Productions upped the excitement for the 2012 Clio awards after-party at New York’s American Museum of Natural History by flooding the event with red lighting.
The 2012 Pencer Brain Trust Gala in Toronto used flamboyant orange hues to support its edgy, rock theme.Â
Even cocktails at the 2012 Pencer Brain Trust Gala were infused with the color.
Billy Butchkavitz’s design inspiration at HBO’s 2009 Golden Globes party in Los Angeles came from the colorful “emotional architecture” style of Luis Barragán and vintage ’60s textiles. Butchkavitz washed restaurant Circa 55 and the adjoining pool area at the Beverly Hilton in a banana yellow animal print.
Torches floated on lily-pad-like structures in the Beverly Hilton's pool, which reflected yellow decor elements from HBO’s 2009 Golden Globes party.
Lush canopies of natural greenery popped against neon green Lucite tabletops at the Museum of Modern Art’s 2013 Party in the Garden benefit in New York.Â
At the Greater Washington, D.C., chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events’ annual fund-raising gala in 2012, the Emerald City Lounge was aptly colored and had an eerie feel.Â
Blue lighting and sequined tablecloths made for a striking look at Ronald McDonald House Toronto’s holiday season gala in December 2012.
Event planner AndrĂ© Wells designed the 2010 Washington Ballet ball around the gala chair’s favorite color. Nearly every shade of purple was used in event, dubbed the “Purple Rain Ball.”Â
Spoons of Eastern Shore crab were passed on lavender serving trays at the 2010 Washington Ballet ball.
More than 1,200 guests donned white garb for the fresh concept of Dîner en Blanc’s flash-mob-style dinner in New York in 2011.
At UrbanDaddy and Stoli’s launch event in New York in 2012, a pure white room was later transformed into a playful and colorful space as guests painted on the walls and lighting projections filled the room.Â
At Marc Jacobs’s final show for Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week in October 2013, a set filled with escalators, a fairground carousel, a fountain, and more was rendered in all black.
Inspired by the “power of the press” shown in season 2 of The Newsroom, designer Billy Butchkavitz used a black-and-white newsprint palette for the show’s 2013 premiere party in Los Angeles.
