Hot pink was the accessory of choice for Flare's 30th anniversary gala, which drew more than 1,000 guests to the Royal Ontario Museum Thursday. "It's a big milestone for the magazine, and we wanted to do it in a very glamorous yet fun fashion...really elegant with a lot of whimsy,” said Tracy Finkelstein, Flare's director of business development and promotions.
Westbury National Show Systems filled the museum’s Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery with pink lighting, and pink floral arrangements from the Pink Twig Floral Boutique accented the black and white furnishings, supplied by Lounge Rentals and Furnishings by Corey. "For years pink was our colour…it just suits the space so beautifully," Finkelstein said. "The glamour is black and white, but you need an accent colour and pink really does it for us."
Pink lighting also lit up the exterior of the museum, where a display by Smart Car (an event sponsor) sat on the black carpet on Bloor Street. A hot pink step-and-repeat covered with the names of event sponsors sat inside the front entrance. Black signs, draped around the necks of mannequins dressed in black sequined leggings, also displayed sponsor names. “This is our mix of whimsy. It’s a nice way to display our sponsor logos and make it fun and fabulous,” Finkelstein said.
The event began with a reception in the museum's Hyacinth Gloria Chen Crystal Court, where organizers projected images of Flare covers onto the wall. "What’s beautiful about the ROM obviously is the vastness of it. We have these unbelievable walls. Why do a photo exhibit down here when you can do it up there? It just lends itself so beautifully,” Finkelstein said.
Servers offered Skyy Vodka cocktails with names like the Red Carpet Classic, Anniversary Appletini, and the Flirty Thirty Shooter to guests, and Catering With Style's offerings included a dessert bar sponsored by Cadbury Dairy Milk. “Basically, it’s more chocolate than you can eat. We’re serving chocolate chunk cookies, parfaits, and cheesecake all inspired and made with Dairy Milk chocolate," Finkelstein said. "And what’s actually quite clever is everyone in their gift bag gets a Dairy Milk almond bar and the recipe for the Dairy Milk almond cheesecake we’re serving tonight."
New York DJs Andrew Andrew flew in to play, and Finkelstein called on Foto Fun Booth to set up two booths where guests could have their pictures snapped. Four images, displayed on filmstrips, were given to guests in a custom Flare cover as a take home.
Sponsors included Joe Fresh, Para Paint, P&G Beauty, Pandora, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Smart Car, HMV, Cashmere, Skyy Vodka, Peroni, Jackson Triggs Wine, and Fiji Water.
