Conceptualized by Swarovski North America Limited's Nadja Swarovski, the Swarovski Crystal Palace event brought hundreds of people to Miami Beach to showcase the pricey works of 19 international designers. Mixed together with flashy Donna D'Cruz, the founder of Rasa Music, spinning chillout electronica on the turntables and Chef Flavio Manzoni and his Shiraz FL Inc. companions serving up eight tasty appetizers and several delicious drinks, this event quickly became one of the hottest pre-parties for Art Basel this year.The displays ranged from Alex De Betak's Through Giselle, a nude female sculpture outlined by silver crystals and placed on a rotating base, to Naoto Fukasawa's Cosmos 1 & 2, the image featured on the event's invitation that consists of two hanging UFO-shaped wire structures illuminated by green crystals, to Jorge Prado's Untitled, 2006, a makeshift mannequin parlor equipped with ancient clothing and enough tiny crystals scattered on its floor to give it a dusty feel. Up for purchase, the individual works of designers Tom Dixon, Georg Baldele, Tord Boontje, and Michael Anastassiades had their own hallway, and ranged in price from as little as £60 each to as much as £8,000 each.
Shiraz waiters passed several savory bites including crispy potato spear with lemon-spiked creme fraiche topped with black caviar; ahi tuna bite with pineapple salsa on a plantain crisp; asparagus risotto cake topped with mushroom melange; seared filet mignon on a crispy kugel with chunky date-thyme syrup; miniature chicken burgers with piped soy aioli; salmon tartare with sesame-soy in a wonton cone; summer rolls with peanuts, carrots, scallions, mint, and cilantro, and finally, pork empañadita with pico de gallo. A specialty drink called the Swarovski Martini was another Shiraz creation. Comprised of premium vodka, a touch of lime, pomegranate juice, and garnished with either a mint leaf or a rose petal, it could be found at either of the white open bars.
—Albert del Toral
Naoto Fukasawa's Cosmos 1 & 2, the spacey image featured on Swarovski's invitation, looked green partly because of the crystals used to make it.
Swarovski Crystal Aerospace, a faux spaceship created by designer and Art Basel staple Ross Lovegrove, featured an exterior glammed up with gleaming silver crystals.
This mannequin parlor was sprinkled with crystals, some of which were featured on the clothing, was the creation of Jorge Prado.
Flashy-clothed DJ and Rasa Music founder Donna D'Cruz, known for playing at various elite fashionistas' international parties, was hired for this event by her friend Nadja Swarovski and created a sophisticated ambiance with her electronic music beats.
Shiraz FL concocted a variety of bite-size treats including the ones pictured here.
This ahi tuna bite with pineapple salsa on a plantain crisp was one of eight hors d'oeuvres being passed butler-style throughout the night.
