Scantily-clad go-go dancers, blaring dance music, and celebrity guests such as Jill Hennessy (spotted dancing on a table) made the M.A.C. Cosmetics Gold Fever party—a traveling branding event for the company—a hot ticket Sunday night. Held in the parking lot of CTV's Queen Street headquarters following the much-hyped DSquared2 fashion show, the disco-themed party also included a performance by famed R&B singer Thelma Houston.
"The whole thing the Gold Fever party offers is sort of irresistible," said Phillip Ing, vice president for international special and retail events for M.A.C. "It's a nod to Studio 54 and making that era a little bit sexier."
The Gold Fever party has already launched in Delhi, Sydney, and Colombia, and will stop next in Los Angeles on September 27. Althought the framework for the event stays the same, Ing says the party—conceptualized by M.A.C. creative director James Gager—features different performers, layouts, and suppliers in each city. Ing worked with Fashion Television director of production Jay Levine to coordinate the date for the Toronto incarnation of Gold Fever, and Francine Socket, CTV's director of special events and merchandising, to set up the event.
"The logistics challenge was making the party work with CTV's huge schedule during the film festival," said Ing, adding that the "daunting space" proved more difficult when rainy weather meant that starting Wednesday, a clear tent needed to be built to cover the party area.
Following the show, bronzed male servers dressed in tiny gold shorts and headbands ushered guests into the party, serving champagne and cocktails. The custom-built, lit-up stage and columns showcased locally-cast dancers wearing costumes by Canadian designers such as Farley Chatto, Joeffer Caoc, and Izzy Camilleri, who dressed Thelma Houston. The decor's holographic walls proved a popular photo backdrop.
Montreal-based DJ JoJo Flores spun a mix of danceable tunes in the packed party space, filled with close to 500 guests. Ing noted the event is not a product launch, but an exclusive M.A.C. Gold Fever collection will be offered at select Bay stores in Toronto later this month.
