The Hollywood Foreign Press Association's 72nd annual Golden Globes took over the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom last night, with hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. There was an uncharacteristically serious—and even somber—tenor to the evening’s jokes and speeches, which called out topics from North Korea and Bill Cosby to Ferguson and Paris.
After the show, an array of familiar hosts filled spaces throughout the hotel and adjacent to it, including the ever-splashy HBO fete in the Circa 55 restaurant and surrounding pool area, In Style's hot-ticket bash in the Oasis Courtyard, NBC Universal's rooftop party, Paramount's party in the Stardust Lounge, Fox's viewing and after-party, and the Weinstein Company's party, which this year technically moved out of the hotel to the former Robinson's-May building next to Fox.
This year, while a few brands sat out—like AMC, as well as Sony, after the hacking scandal sent the studio scrambling late last year—a few new names jumped into the fray. BuzzFeed, for instance, got on board with a new party on Thursday night before the show with a GIF photo booth, as well as what were billed as award season survival totes for 200 guests. W magazine also hosted a new Friday night event, previewing its "Shooting Stars" exhibit at the Wilshire May Company building next to Lacma.
Audi, Bafta, and the Art of Elysium—which had a far-out fete this year thanks to direction from Marina Abramović—were among the other returning hosts on the crowded weekend landscape, as were a host of swag purveyors like the HBO Luxury Lounge and Kari Feinstein's suite.
Moët & Chandon, the official champagne of the Golden Globes for the 24th consecutive year, marked the sixth year of its red carpet philanthropic initiative, Toast for a Cause. It invited nominees and celebrities on the red carpet to raise a toast with Moët Impérial minis in support of their favorite charities. For each toast raised, Moët & Chandon donated $1,000 to chosen charities in the nominees’ names.
Ford evoked a modern mountain lodge with accents of “moody ‘70s glamour,” according to the magazine.
Draping lent a luxe look to the room, regarded as the night's hottest ticket: Jennifer Aniston, Patricia Arquette, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Taylor Swift, and Lorde were among the A-list attendees.
The indoor-outdoor event, overseen by HBO’s Cindy Tenner and designed by Billy Butchkavitz, filled the pool deck and adjoining restaurant space with decor Butchkavitz said was inspired by an early 1930s movie set design by Cedric Gibbons. The Old Hollywood musical’s look inspired the party’s topaz and gold color palette.
A dramatic golden staircase descended from a 24-foot-high upholstered perimeter wall. In front of it was a grand piano, where Stephen Limbaugh played piano and Katie Welch sang for the crowd. Daisy O’Dell also used the piano as her DJ booth. Special Event Contractors built the wall and staircase, as well as covered the hotel's pool. Emerging Entertainment handled the sound, and Agile Eye Solutions was behind the party's large decor pieces.
Tables were topped with flowers authentic to the 1930s design period trends: gardenias, cream roses, China mums, and white amaryllis. Town & Country provided rentals, and lighting, including swirled patterns on the staircase, was provided by Images by Lighting.
Best Events produced the Weinstein fete, as it has for more than two decades (including when the company was known as Miramax). For this year, the party’s longtime location, the old Trader Vic’s space, had been demolished, so the party moved to the old Robinson’s-May parking lot adjacent to the Fox party. Given the former structure there had also been demolished, the event took place in a big dirt lot that Best graded to make it level enough for a huge tent. Instead of separate spaces for viewing and after-parties, this year the team used one large area, divided by fabric drapery.
Laura Mercier hosted a lip bar adjacent to its photo booth—suitable for guests looking for pre-snap touch-ups.
Tufted lounge furniture groupings dotted the space, as did greenery, including trees strewn with lanterns. Fiji Water, Moët, Marie Claire, and Lexus were among the event's many additional sponsors.
At the Fox Golden Globes party, produced by 15/40 Productions, small chandeliers and greenery set into tent walls created a lush look.
Rustic accents and greenery punctuated Fox's party space in the old Robinson's-May area. Greenery spilled from chandeliers and Edison-style bulbs hung from overhead beams.
For the NBC Universal Golden Globes party, designer-producer Angel City Designs used a palette of blue hues, paired with gold and chartreuse accents. Large ellipse lighting elements in two sizes illuminated both the dining area and vintage-style velvet lounge furniture groupings.
Hot pink flowers from CJ Matsumoto & Sons topped long navy banquet tables. The party took place under a 100- by 200-foot tented structure from Classic Party Rentals.
A 20-foot-high truss structure at one end of the tent opposite the entrance showcased an LED video wall where guests could watch the broadcast of the show. Around the perimeter were 50-inch plasma screens for additional viewing opportunities.
Paramount's party in the hotel's Stardust Lounge, also produced by 15/40, had a glamorous classic Hollywood look with glittering orbs hanging overhead and tufted white seating groups.
BuzzFeed's new entry onto the Golden Globes party circuit this year was a 200-guest affair at the Eveleigh on Thursday. The event included a Hollywood-theme GIF booth, tarot card predictions for the new year, and stickers that resembled the site's iconic badges such as OMG, Wtf, Win, and LOL.
Guests scooped up gift bags dubbed "award season survival totes" at BuzzFeed's party. The packs contained party-hopping essentials such as snacks, water bottles, mints, and flasks.
At the Bafta Los Angeles TV Tea, presented by Jaguar and Mulberry at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, the press wall borrowed its look from the Union Jack.
The Art of Elysium hosted its eighth annual Heaven Gala, presented by Samsung, at Hangar 8 on Saturday. Marina Abramović was the creative force behind this year's event, creating an experience based on her concept of heaven as a state of consciousness where light and dark meet.
Upon arrival, attendees picked up Samsung Level headphones to wear during Abromovic’s “Silence is Golden” performance art installation, where guests remained silent for the first hour of the evening. To communicate, they used only body language or wrote notes using the S Pen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 devices stationed around the room. The devices also provided guests with information about the evening’s programming and performance art installations, including custom content and acknowledgements. Perrier-Jouët Champagne hosted the cocktail hour.
Guests viewed a short film and tableau vivant performance called "Misfits for the Table," as well as the 3-D piece "Evolution (Megaplex)" by artist Marco Brambilla.
The night included a Costume National fashion show and music from Moby and Elijah Wood.
SBE Events and Catering provided food for the event, including tray-passed appetizers, dinner, and dessert. Menu items included the Bazaar's golden flan eggs.
Audi hosted its annual Golden Globes party at Cecconi's on Thursday. DJ Michelle Pesce spun for the crowd, and celebrities arrived in Audi vehicles including its fuel-efficient A8 L TDI sedan.
Tony Schubert and Event Eleven again designed and produced the Audi party, this year incorporating themes of mid-century modern and abstract art. Decor had a palette of black, white, and grey with pops of yellow.
W hosted a Saturday event at A.O.C. celebrating people the magazine designated as Hollywood It girls. Piaget and Dom Pérignon sponsored the luncheon, where guests including Kim Kardashian and Allison Williams dined at tables accented with pops of pink.
Silver Birches design director Peter Otero designed and produced the Aquafina display on the red carpet adjacent to the entrance to the awards. The look was a blue curvilinear wall meant to capture the essence of the brand with an undulating display of water in motion. A smaller molded design situated before it echoed the same curve and served as a bar where glowing Aquafina bottles were on display.
In the Pandora suite at the HBO Luxury Lounge, the jewelry brand brought its oversize Plinko-like board to add a game element to its bauble giveaways.
