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subscribe to style file blog via RSSBlasblog: Party On!
February 8, 2010 10:05 am
Sure, by the looks of our fashion week preview, which is chock-full of new designers and late-night parties, it might seem that a few people have forgotten that we’re still in the midst of the Great Recession. That same amnesia might be said to be found in Celebrations: Lush Flowers, Opulent Tables, Dramatic Spaces, and Other Inspirations for Entertaining, renowned events guru Preston Bailey’s new book. The pages of the coffee-table volume are filled with all sorts of fabulous fêtes, from black-tie galas to the kinds of wedding and anniversary parties that cost more than a studio apartment in Soho. (Bailey’s own favorite? The last one in the book, for which he created a football field-sized bubble tent in the middle of the desert.) He’s quick to point out that the recession has, in fact, had an impact on his business: “Entertaining was definitely affected as much as other businesses, but what I’ve noticed is that what all my clients are looking for now is an intimate environment. Whether it’s on a large scale or a small scale, they want to make moments last longer, rather than just some over-the-top wow factor.” Ah, yes, sounds like the argument I heard from a few die-hard couture buyers last week in Paris: People still want to spend the money, but not necessarily look like they do. Preston agreed, saying his job is now to “transform spaces to look beautiful—which is not the same thing as extravagant.” But don’t worry, rubberneckers: There’s plenty of extravagance, as well as beauty, in his book.
tags: Preston Bailey
