M.A.C. Cosmetics unveiled its "Baking Beauties" color collection at a patisserie-themed event in Los Angeles April 11. Held in the brand's Robertson Boulevard shop, the event featured three models painted head to toe in pastel colors inspired by lavish desserts.
The highly produced show displays 300 student designs and has had high-profile honorees such as Cynthia Rowley and Ikram Goldman. Next: Spring 2013
Donatella Versace debuted her newest Versus Versace collection with a bash for 1,300 guests at New York's 69th Regiment Armory on May 15. Complementing three mini fashion shows and concerts, a pedicab sporting a rotating carousel of rainbow-colored Venus Versace bags made its way throughout the cavernous venue, offering guests the chance to hop on the back for a ride.
Sheraton Social Hour is a premium wine service developed in conjunction with Wine Spectator magazine. To launch the new program at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, a penthouse event on May 15 served vino from a custom bar constructed out of wine bottles. Designed by Level Productions and built by Abunch LLC, the bar was flanked by signage that explained the taste profile of the wines, along with snacks that paired with them.
Need some pool party inspiration? Chandon kicked off the season in quirky style at its American Summer Soiree on May 21 and made creative use out of an inexpensive prop: pool toys. Celebrity guests such as Brittany Snow posed in front of a step-and-repeat that comprised bright blue dolphins, smiling pink flamingos, branded beach balls, and other inflatable toys.
Held at Chicago's Navy Pier on April 13, the American Heart Association's Heart Ball had an all-red lounge that served as a plush activation for sponsor Redd's Apple Ale. Kehoe Designs handled decor, and Deseo Events planned the event.
The Chicago Botanic Garden's Antiques & Garden Fair Preview Evening took place on April 23. Landscape architect Maria Smithburg and Manifredini Landscaping & Design lined the entrance with red buckets of varying heights that held lush, cheerful arrangements of purple tulips.
The Museum of Modern Art’s annual Party in the Garden took place in New York on May 21. Overhead, dense arrangements of tropical plants were suspended between white pillars, creating a jungle-like canopy effect.
The Horizons for Homeless Children's gala took place at Boston's State Room on April 6 and had a dinner of organic herb-roasted chicken with lemon-thyme nage. To enhance the light, delicate dinner, Winston Flowers topped tables with floating white orchids. Surrounded by candles in black and white holders, the simple arrangement had the serene vibe of a Zen garden.
Dubbed "Passport to Discovery," the American Cancer Society's Discovery Ball at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago had a time-travel theme that nodded to the society's past, present, and future as it celebrated its 100-year history. At the registration area, the 900 guests checked in at a desk that resembled an old-fashioned ticket counter, and HMR Designs' decor included worn suitcases, vintage train schedules, and other tropes that brought the year 1913 to life.
Billed as the most successful cancer-related fund-raising gala in Canada, the Daffodil Ball in April had a Great Gatsby theme that brought the 1920s to life at Windsor Station in Montreal. In the cocktail space, a living fountain twirled around slowly. Planners mounted the statue and surrounding water trough over an octagonal hole in Windsor Station's floor, and the set up required reinforced struts covered by flooring and raised three feet above ground level.
On May 9, nearly 300 artists and art patrons celebrated the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s 25th anniversary. The event raised a record $600,000 amid a rarefied dining experience: The dinner was prepared by Suzanne Goin of Lucques and envisioned by iconic chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. The meal was served on fresh-cut, organic banana leaves selected by Chez Panisse’s special events chef, Samantha Greenwood. Dates and tangerines made a colorful presentation in the menu.
Sponsored by Toys "R" Us, the event took place at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel on April 6. With the goal of raising money for sick or injured children, organizers created a whimsical bash filled with circus-inspired ideas. Dinner tables were topped with miniature Ferris wheels that held cupcakes topped with colorful frosting.
Held in Chicago on May 18, the Goodman Gala celebrated the theater's upcoming production of The Jungle Book. Kehoe Designs transformed the Fairmont Hotel's ballroom into a tropical setting replete with lagoon-colored lighting, leafy centerpieces, and giant cutouts of animal silhouettes.
The first-time event at the Art Institute of Chicago May 16 raised money for local public charter school the Academy of Global Citizenship, and students from the school were on hand to greet guests, give them directions, and remind them of the evening's cause. Though the event was relatively small, guests bid high all evening, raising more than $1 million.
The fund-rasier took over the Artists for Humanity Epicenter in Boston on April 27, and an abstract sculpture hanging over the dance floor underscored the eco-conscious theme of climate change. The piece was meant to evoke the ghostly, transparent look of melting glaciers.
Held in Tampa on May 18 at A La Carte Event Pavilion, the ball had a French flea-market theme. Using a backdrop of Parisian cafés, the silent auction had a look that blended in with the evening's vibe. Gold Productions created the decor.
The American Cancer Society hosted its Key Gala in Boston at the Park Plaza Castle on April 4. Geared toward a crowd of young professionals, the event had a late-night menu from the Catered Affair. Laid-back snacks included hot pretzels with ballpark mustard.
With the tagline, "Rock the Cradle of Civilization," the Royal Ontario Museum's "Ancient Prom" took place on April 6. Hosted by the Young Patrons Circle, the benefit's theme was inspired by a new exhibition called "Mesopotamia." Sponsor Ceramic Glaze offered nail art that used patterns from the museum's ancient collections.
Steppenwolf auxiliary council's hip fund-raiser took place at Chicago's Venue One on April 5. Geared toward a youthful crowd, the event offered a Magnolia Photo Booth with fun props such as fake mustaches and—to underscore the theatrical theme—a movie slate.
