With the proliferation of beer gardens in the city, it's no surprise brands have picked up on the trend. On July 13, New Balance took to 620 Loft & Garden for a launch that featured brews and light fare. The Boston-based footwear company hosted the event at the indoor-outdoor venue to introduce editors to its latest line, a collection of lightweight shoes, dubbed NewSky, made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate—the kind of plastic used in soda bottles—and served organic microbrews to underscore the product's eco-friendly concept.
Designed and produced by MKG, a couple of whimsical touches kept the evening gathering relatively informal. On the short cocktail tables beside the white-cushioned chairs dotted around the open-air garden, shoes held small floral arrangements, while a topiary in the shape of New Balance's logo and NewSky's branding decorated the pool area. And rather than pass beer from behind a main bar, the producers created small stations emblazoned with the collection's tagline "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" for waitstaff to serve the products from three local brewers.
Creative Edge supplied the bites for the affair, using white trays decorated with beds of pea shoots to pass hors d'oeuvres like lime-cured salmon with cedar-pressed black rice and micro wasabi greens, vegan banh mi, and sheep's milk ricotta bruschetta with Valencia oranges and truffle honey.