To get fast and affirmative R.S.V.P.s for an event, try mentioning Sex and the City on the invite—that certainly seemed to work for Moët & Chandon. On Wednesday night, the official champagne partner for Sex and the City 2 worked with Warner Brothers to host an advance screening of the sequel at the Gene Siskel Film Center. According to event organizers, most of the 200 invitees responded to the emailed invite within minutes, and only two sent their regrets.
The evening began with a champagne reception at the downtown movie house. The largely high-heeled crowd comprised "individuals who love Moët & Chandon, glamour, and the Sex and the City characters and lifestyle," said Kimberly Burt, a Chicago-based rep for the French brand. To infuse the screening with the film's convivial vibe, Burt tapped four local women—Annie Barlow, Elizabeth Cole, Whitney Lasky, and Micah Materre—to act as hostesses. Each woman invited personal friends.
After the screening, "we wanted to give guests an opportunity to continue the celebration in a fun, festive environment," Burt said. Park Hyatt Chicago hosted the affair. Inspired by the film's Abu Dhabi setting, Event Creative's decor included Moroccan lamps, pillow-strewn lounge furniture, and gauzy white drapes. Turquoise lighting gave the space a poolside look, which nodded to the film's setting at a luxury hotel.
The party also offered a spread of desserts and—no surprise here—a champagne bar. Behind the bar, glittery letters spelled out the first word of the film's title. "I wish S.E.X. were my initials," said one of the hostesses. "I'd buy that for my house in a minute." The letters stayed put, but hostesses did make away with another sparkly gift: Each got a magnum of Moët & Chandon bedazzled with Swarovski crystals in the shape of stilettos.
Moët & Chandon hosted several similar events throughout the country on Wednesday, bringing screenings and after-parties to Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Washington, Dallas, and Phoenix.
