Beverly Hills-based book publisher Pixie Press Worldwide launched with a rooftop party at the London West Hollywood—an event with a luxury feel that seemed to defy the restraint characterized by so many recession-era events.
The party also served as the debut of the house's first coffee table book, About Face, shot by celebrity photographer John Russo. Many of the male subjects from the book—like Jason Lewis from Sex and the City and Jesse Metcalfe from Desperate Housewives—joined the festivities, along with close to 350 guests in all. Pixie Press director of media and public relations Michael Montanez and chief creative officer Rebecca Frank oversaw the event with the internal creative and PR team, tapping Alex Events Inc. to produce and design it.
Frank said the party was consistent with the group's luxury brand and eco-friendly emphasis. “The paper for About Face was manufactured with 100 percent wind power, the carbon footprint for the event was measured and is being offset through reforestation in the U.S., and a percentage of each book is donated to the charity Smile Train,” said Frank.
Entertainment, fashion, and design folks came out for the event, which afforded unobstructed city views. Alex Alexander of Alex Events played up the luxury look with Swarovski crystal chandeliers, satin ivory draping, purple lighting, and lounges with custom accent throws and pillows. Orchid arrangements came from Mark's Garden.
"Because the London has Deco characteristics and because we wanted something that was a blending of classic style with a clean contemporary feel to it, I chose to use ivory as the main color for the space—ivory carpet, ivory silk furniture, and shades of ivory in the draping," said Alexander, who also made broad use of Pixie's signature purple and black. Rather than the traditional red carpet, the party employed a black-carpet arrivals area.
"Budget was not a limitation and we were happy to provide business for the London and work for designers, lighting technicians, and the many others who helped us throughout the evening," said Montanez, who noted than many elements were produced in-house to control costs. "[It's] important to note, too, that even in these days of economic downturn, it still takes an eye-catching event to garner the celebrity and press attention that companies like ours and the charities we associate with need to prosper."
