Romantic Notions

Victoria's Secret, with its unabashedly frilly, girlie merchandise and pink-on-pink packaging, is a brand that knows itself. So when the retailer launched its Heavenly Kiss fragrance at Beso last night, the brand threw a party that embraced the flirty, romantic notions behind its commercial success. "The goal was to make it romantic and feminine, consistent with the fragrance messaging," said Kate Foster, Victoria's Secret's New York-based associate vice president for marketing and PR. "Plus, the fragrance makes a perfect gift for Mother's Day, so the timing was right."

The choice of venue was a gimme, since its name means "kiss" in Spanish, and Eva Longoria Parker's new spot with chef Todd English is one of the most-discussed new spaces in town.Designer Jes Gordon placed candles and orchids on the tabletops, which the fragrance and its boxes also decorated. Gordon used gels to make the venue's dramatic hanging chandeliers glow pink. "The color scheme of the fragrance is gold and white with hot-pink accents, so we brought those color elements into play," Foster said. "The Dream Angels bottle is kind of an iconic bottle for us, and this is an extension of [that]—a springtime edition."

English created an aphrodisiac-inspired menu, which included passed flatbread pizzas and skewers with dipping sauces. Liquor sponsor Chambord created a specialty drink menu, including a cocktail that shared the fragrance's name.

So why did Victoria's Secret pick Los Angeles to launch Heavenly Kiss? "The positioning of the fragrance being feminine and light—I think L.A. is the perfect place," said Foster, who described the launch as "just a fun, springy cocktail party."