Joining the British retail invasion of Newbury Street, Ted Baker celebrated the official opening of its first Boston boutique (the ninth in the U.S.) with a Mad Hatter Tea Party at its new location at 201 Newbury Street from 6 to 9 p.m. on November 11.
“We got our inspiration from the store itself, which is tea party themed, and we thought a Mad Hatter tea party event would be the perfect way to highlight the space and the Ted Baker brand,” said Chris Haynes of Boston PR firm CBH Communications, who produced the party. “We then hired Gaslight and chef Keenan Langlois, who came up with a British-inspired menu, which fit in with how we envisioned the event—CBH always likes to work with a restaurant rather than a cater; it adds another element to the event.”
The Alice in Wonderland-esque treats—the Ted-tini and Thyme Keeper cocktails by Bombay Sapphire and Gaslight’s madeleine tea cakes and Yorkshire pudding bites with stilton cheese—were set against a backdrop of the store’s grass walls, chessboard floor, topiary teapots, porcelain teacups, and top hats.
Notoriously camera-shy designer Ray Kelvin, founder and managing director of Ted Baker, was the guest of honor among the 300 invited attendees, and picked the name of a guest to win a $1,000 Ted Baker gift card.
Guests had a chance to give back, too: Between November 12 and 17, 5 percent of the store’s proceeds will benefit Boston-based nonprofit Community Servings, which offers meal delivery service for families coping with life-threatening illness.
The store has also partnered with neighboring Tealuxe to offer shoppers complimentary tea to sip while they shop.
