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.
Produced by Bureau Betak, the September 4 Altuzarra for Target launch party at Skylight Clarkson Square had guests enter a cavernous mirrored room filled with thousands of strung lights. The event's decor created a veritable twilight zone including 1,140 strands of light and 1,420 feet of drape.
A literal garden wonderland, Thom Browne’s September 8 show at Center548 featured a lush lawn, faux-privet columns, and tricolor bands of flowers lining the square runway. Produced by Villa Eugenie and co-produced by Kaleidoscope Consulting, the show involved arriving guests being met by 10 models posing as statues in the center of the garden.
The Toronto International Film Festival, held this year from September 4 to 14, celebrated its lineup of 300 films with events held across the city. On September 7, Entertainment One hosted its "eOne Blue Carpet" bash for 1,500 guests. L'Eat Catering provided a french-fry station with both regular and sweet potato fries, inviting guests to pluck packets of ketchup off hanging strings.
On September 6, the festival's official music partner, Rdio, hosted an intimate concert with singer Ellie Goulding in a temporary concert hall that took over a former restaurant space on King Street West. There were also public activities outside of the venue. At one station, guests could don earphones and test out the music streaming service.
On August 26, Kobo held its End-of-Summer Pool Party at Muzik Pool Bar in Toronto. The event celebrated the launch of the Kobo Aura H2O, a waterproof e-reader. To keep with the theme, Kobo’s PR and event team partnered with Aqualillies, a synchronized-swimming entertainment group, to stage a lively routine in the bar’s pool. The Aqualillies provided a playful introduction to the waterproof product by taking the e-readers into the water with them.
Since 2005, Fox has introduced its fall season with the same eco-friendly casino-theme event. At this year's September 9 bash at the Bungalow in Santa Monica, California, locally grown flowers in bamboo vases complemented the existing decor at the Bungalow. "No synthetic chemicals were used in the fertilizers, the organic waste is composted and decomposed," said Brian Worley, co-owner of YourBash, which designed and produced the event.
With new locations in Chicago suburbs Rosemont and Naperville, iFly Indoor Skydiving offers a unique group activity: participants "fly" or float on a column of air that's generated by winds blowing at 75 to 175 miles per hour. Before the activity, all guests take a brief course that covers body positioning and hand signals for flying; they then suit up with helmets, flight suits, ear plugs, and goggles.
At Hollywood’s Create Nightclub, Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama hosted its first Fashion Rocks party on September 9. In keeping with the rock 'n' roll theme, a step-and-repeat featured album covers from the '70s and '80s, as well as suspended records.
Classic Party Rentals will be rolling out a fall look, which features its new Marcella china and its 66-inch round farm table, gold Chiavari chairs, gold beaded charger, diplomat flatware, gold Venice glassware, and amber wine glasses. The rental house also carries large patio heaters for chilly outdoor events.
Aztec Tents recently introduced its Timbertrac Collection, which features an architectural truss design and “wood-like” aluminum beams for a craftsman-style look. The collection comes in 20-, 30-, and 40-foot widths and expands lengthwise in 15-foot modules. The collection is available for rent through EventQuip in Pennsylvania and can be purchased nationwide through Aztec Tents. Pricing is available upon request.
#4 Fashion & Retail Event
The event includes a Saturday-night sit-down dinner with a fashion show and is a scholarship fund-raiser benefitting the F.I.D.M. Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit that assists students with their education. More than 100 garments and other design projects are presented in a runway show that spotlights student work. Next: April 2, 2016
#3 Fashion & Retail Event
Each year, the black-tie gala presents what is billed as the city’s largest runway show, with more than 70 professional models in more than 175 designs by Otis students. Approximately 800 guests from the fashion and entertainment worlds turn out for the event, which raises money for student scholarships. Next: May 7, 2016
Photoboxx is a social media printing station for parties and events. When guests post their photos to Twitter or Instagram using a designated hashtag, the Photoboxx printer automatically prints a hard copy. Hosts can customize the background color of the prints and also add graphics or logos. They can also choose whether to display or hide information such as username, profile image, and comments. After the event, Photoboxx provides a report on hashtag usage, impressions, and reach.
