Instead of throwing one large bash to commemorate the end of Van Cleef & Arpelsβ centennial year, the jewelrymaker held a series of dinners that showcased its TrΓ©sors RΓ©vΓ©lΓ©s collection, vintage designs from the companyβs archives. Communications manager Amanda Roth and assistant communications manager Devon McKee worked with David Beahm Designs to transform four venues across the country: New York Cityβs Harold Pratt House and Peterson Hall at the Council on Foreign Relations (on December 3), Laguna Beachβs Montage Resort and Spa (on January 4), the Beverly Hills Hotel (on January 17), and the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in Palm Beach (on January 30). βWe decided to make it a multicity event because we have boutiques in six locations in the U.S., with a strong client base in each, and we wanted to present the collection to as many clients as possible,β Roth said.Because much of the jewelry being showcased was from the 1920βs, Roth envisioned Art Deco-style dinners with a modern feel. Working with dramatic black draping and a color palette of gray and sage green (Van Cleef & Arpelsβ signature hue), Beahm created an elegant yet subdued stage for the focus of the eventβa plethora of vibrant, sparking stones. βThe decor had to be luxurious, but in no way could it show up the jewelry,β Beahm said.
At each of the locations, about 100 guests (mainly the companyβs top clients) dined on entrΓ©es like red wine-braised short ribs (from New Yorkβs Feast & Fetes) and glazed duck breast with duck confit (from Palm Beach caterer Christafaroβs), while models paraded around the room decked out in 100 (a nod to the centennial) hand-selected pieces of jewelry. But the highlight came at the end of the evening, when guests were invited to take a closer look at the pieces and even try them on. (Mirrors were provided, of course.) βAll the dinners required a tremendous amount of security,β Beahm said. βAs the models walked out, each piece was counted, and then recounted when they came back. We had 12 people on duty at each event because every door had to be covered.β
Lighting was also key, to add drama to the evening as well as highlight the brilliance of each piece of jewelry. βInside the dining room, the tables were lit by a combination of lavender-hued fixtures, to illuminate the centerpieces and the table surfaces when the jewelry was displayed,β said Pat Dignan, the lighting designer and technical coordinator at all of the events. In all of the venues except Palm Beach, fabric walls lining the dining rooms were backlit by multicolored LED fixtures. Working with Big Apple Production Services in New York and Images by Lighting in Beverly Hills, Dignan programmed a lighting cue sequence so that when an emerald appeared on screen, green lights behind the fabric flooded the dining room with the colors of the jewelry.
Although Van Cleef & Arpelsβ centennial year is over, related events are still in progress. After Palm Beach, Beahm traveled to the companyβs Bal Harbour boutique, where he gave the store the same look and feel as the dinners. The jewelry collection will make a final stop in the companyβs Chicago boutique, which will be specially decorated until March 3.
βLisa Cericola
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At each of the locations, about 100 guests (mainly the companyβs top clients) dined on entrΓ©es like red wine-braised short ribs (from New Yorkβs Feast & Fetes) and glazed duck breast with duck confit (from Palm Beach caterer Christafaroβs), while models paraded around the room decked out in 100 (a nod to the centennial) hand-selected pieces of jewelry. But the highlight came at the end of the evening, when guests were invited to take a closer look at the pieces and even try them on. (Mirrors were provided, of course.) βAll the dinners required a tremendous amount of security,β Beahm said. βAs the models walked out, each piece was counted, and then recounted when they came back. We had 12 people on duty at each event because every door had to be covered.β
Lighting was also key, to add drama to the evening as well as highlight the brilliance of each piece of jewelry. βInside the dining room, the tables were lit by a combination of lavender-hued fixtures, to illuminate the centerpieces and the table surfaces when the jewelry was displayed,β said Pat Dignan, the lighting designer and technical coordinator at all of the events. In all of the venues except Palm Beach, fabric walls lining the dining rooms were backlit by multicolored LED fixtures. Working with Big Apple Production Services in New York and Images by Lighting in Beverly Hills, Dignan programmed a lighting cue sequence so that when an emerald appeared on screen, green lights behind the fabric flooded the dining room with the colors of the jewelry.
Although Van Cleef & Arpelsβ centennial year is over, related events are still in progress. After Palm Beach, Beahm traveled to the companyβs Bal Harbour boutique, where he gave the store the same look and feel as the dinners. The jewelry collection will make a final stop in the companyβs Chicago boutique, which will be specially decorated until March 3.
βLisa Cericola
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Lexus Joins the Art World
Montblanc Anniversary Puts Focus on Stars
Raw Space Sparkles for Scandinavian Jewelry Launch
Photo: Patrick McMullan LA
Photo: Patrick McMullan LA
Photo: Patrick McMullan LA
Photo: Lucien Capehart
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Photo: Lucien Capehart