The network that launched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ought to know a thing or two about entertaining after all the show's advice on design, culture and food. Thomas Nolan, a marketing exec for Bravo's parent company, NBC, put the knowledge to use when he oversaw the planning of an upfront party at Crobar showcasing the network's fall programming for media buyers.
Before settling in to watch the presentation on Broadway Famous Party Rentals' primary-colored chairs, guests sampled passed hors d'oeuvres from ModelBartenders.com's staff, outfitted in black Bravo-branded T-shirts. The network's marquis shows—including Celebrity Poker Showdown, Blow Out, The West Wing and, of course, Queer Eye—inspired Premier Party Servers' trays. Strange but true: Executive chef Karen Giobbe poked beef and chicken skewers into styrofoam mannequin heads to look like hair extensions, evoking Queer Eye and the coveted advice of grooming guru Kyan Douglas. Pink and orange curlers glued atop round mirrors made for trays promoting Blow Out, the new reality show set in a hair salon.
Although the event showcased fall programming, Steven Bruce Design's flower arrangements showcased spring. The arrangements included hyacinths, tulips and Easter lilies. In Crobar's Prop Room room, color-changing light-up vases added sparkle to the bright bunches and red-lit Bravo signage.
—Alesandra Dubin