W Hotels created an oasis of subtle glamour in the midst of the raucous swirl of MTV Video Music Awards parties. The company's soon-to-be-constructed South Beach hotel-condo hosted a dinner under a cozy beach tent with Quincy Jones.
The elegant decor with a tropical theme came courtesy of Bronson van Wyck of New York event design firm Van Wyck & Van Wyck, and set the tone for the intimate, celebrity-studded gathering. RSVPs came in early from the likes of Usher, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, and Shaquille O'Neal.
The white tent with clear top—erected by Miami's EventStar—glowed with green, red, and white exterior lights by Everlast Productions. Dozens of flickering votive candles set a warm tone inside. At the entrance, live palm trees from Oscar Foliage Rental, as well as tiny fish and starfish encased in clear Lucite stands and tables from Universal Lucite Display, created a "tropical clambake" atmosphere. Additional acrylic tables were filled with tropical fish and floating orchids.
Plump white sofas and chairs with multicolored pillows provided by Van Wyck & Van Wyck sat amid coconut palm tree trunks that were crafted, varnished, hollowed out, and filled with local flora and palm fronds. The look was romantic and sexy, said van Wyck, who combined various styles from the W Hotels and added a Florida touch to come up with the clean-but-warm South Seas feel that will define the new hotel.
"We wanted to give the guests a preview of what the W Hotel in South Beach will be like," said Vanessa Poskanzer of Harrison & Shriftman, hired by David Edelstein of TriStar Capital, the developers behind the W.
The centerpiece of the tent was a long painted Lucite table where A-list diners could taste the aquatic creations of Miami's star chef Michael Schwartz, whose new venture, Afterglo, recently opened. The man who helped put Miami on the culinary map with restaurants such as Nemo focused on raw bar featuring West Coast oysters, clams on the half shell, and blue crab cocktail claws. Passed hors d'oeuvres included lump blue crab cakes with remoulade, spicy gazpacho shooters, and curried shrimp puffs. Thierry's Catering provided the refreshments at the bar.
The aural atmosphere supplied by DJ Cassidy incorporated a healthy dose of —who else?—Quincy Jones. "But I would have played him anyway," says the spinner. "How could you not?"
—Anne Tschida
The elegant decor with a tropical theme came courtesy of Bronson van Wyck of New York event design firm Van Wyck & Van Wyck, and set the tone for the intimate, celebrity-studded gathering. RSVPs came in early from the likes of Usher, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton, and Shaquille O'Neal.
The white tent with clear top—erected by Miami's EventStar—glowed with green, red, and white exterior lights by Everlast Productions. Dozens of flickering votive candles set a warm tone inside. At the entrance, live palm trees from Oscar Foliage Rental, as well as tiny fish and starfish encased in clear Lucite stands and tables from Universal Lucite Display, created a "tropical clambake" atmosphere. Additional acrylic tables were filled with tropical fish and floating orchids.
Plump white sofas and chairs with multicolored pillows provided by Van Wyck & Van Wyck sat amid coconut palm tree trunks that were crafted, varnished, hollowed out, and filled with local flora and palm fronds. The look was romantic and sexy, said van Wyck, who combined various styles from the W Hotels and added a Florida touch to come up with the clean-but-warm South Seas feel that will define the new hotel.
"We wanted to give the guests a preview of what the W Hotel in South Beach will be like," said Vanessa Poskanzer of Harrison & Shriftman, hired by David Edelstein of TriStar Capital, the developers behind the W.
The centerpiece of the tent was a long painted Lucite table where A-list diners could taste the aquatic creations of Miami's star chef Michael Schwartz, whose new venture, Afterglo, recently opened. The man who helped put Miami on the culinary map with restaurants such as Nemo focused on raw bar featuring West Coast oysters, clams on the half shell, and blue crab cocktail claws. Passed hors d'oeuvres included lump blue crab cakes with remoulade, spicy gazpacho shooters, and curried shrimp puffs. Thierry's Catering provided the refreshments at the bar.
The aural atmosphere supplied by DJ Cassidy incorporated a healthy dose of —who else?—Quincy Jones. "But I would have played him anyway," says the spinner. "How could you not?"
—Anne Tschida