Luxury Concierge Network: Jade Ocean 2013

We all know that Miami’s “high season” is usually between November and April/May (approximately), but for some markets, such as the luxury condominiums in Miami-Dade’s north beaches, the high season is during the Summer, when most of their residents from Russia, Europe and Latin America come to enjoy their fabulous South Florida homes. For that reason Jade Ocean’s concierge extraordinaire John Lenis, invited us to co-host an event for his valued residents, along with The Luxury Concierge Network, as there are a lot of them in town and for him is a perfect opportunity to entertain them throwing a fabulous event.

 

We brought to the table the Luxury Lifestyle Showcase concept that has always worked so well, by inviting a selection of luxury brands and services to be part of the event, including our client David Landau Interior Designs, who co-hosted and sponsored the event. Fashion is always a must, and this time we had the pleasure to work with our clients Anya Ponorovskaya (Design District) for the women’s wear, La Perla (Bal Harbour) provided with a classy touch of sexiness through their fantastic collection of lingerie, and the distinguished custom clothier Astor & Black was the option for men’s fashion.

 



Our friends from Saks Fifth Avenue (Bal Harbour) and Kiehl’s (Aventura), pampered residents and guests with samples of their exclusive skincare and beauty lines, and gift bags, while Avant Gallery showcased a selection of fine pieces of contemporary art.

 

The food was provided by two of the Jade Ocean’s residents favorite restaurants from the area, El Gran Inka (Peruvian cuisine) and Sardelli Steakhouse (Italian steak house); and while the main bar offered plenty of wines and champagne, the outside cocktail bar was presented by Spirit of the Tsars vodka.

 

 

Other participating companies and sponsors included Ocean Drive Exotic Car Rental, Carlos Mejia “The Fashion Guru”, Doctor Aromas, Audio-Video MD, and Robovault.

 

 



PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EVENT’S PHOTO ALBUM

AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

 

NAILA Collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week SWIM 2014

We had the pleasure to work with Naila Collection again this year during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SWIM 2014, at the Cabana Grande tent at the Raleigh Hotel in Miami Beach; Naila was part of a group show on Monday July 22^nd 2013, where she showcased silhouettes such as intricately cut monokinis, bright and slimming one-piece suits with crochet detail and hip hugging basic black bikinis. The entire Women’s Collection is made with Italian Xtra Life lycra, which offers full comfort, durability and resistance to chlorine.

   

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW

 

This year’s Men and Boys Collection included deep caramel colored trunks and brilliant turquoise and blues to reflect the color of the Mediterranean Sea that inspired Naïla as young girl living along the French Riviera. Naïla Men’s Collection is also one of the only eco-friendly lines of swimwear in the market. Using recycled fabrics and innovative construction, the men’s line of shorts offers high technology and quick dry capability, along with extreme comfort.



 

 

CLICK ON THE VIDEO TO WATCH THE SHOW

  

There were a number of personalities in the packed audience, including the reigning Miss America, Mallory Hagan from New York, and Carlos Mejia, celebrity fashion stylist and TV personality for Univision and CNN Español, also known as “The Fashion Guru”.

 

TO SEE THE BACKSTAGE PHOTOS CLICK HERE

Luxury Concierge Network:Trump Hollywood 2013

One of our favorite event formats: private upscale events for residents of luxury condominiums; we have been producing those for a few years now and from our point of view those are a great opportunity to blend a social event with a branding/marketing opportunity for our clients. On July 6^th, 2013 we produced and co-hosted, along with the fabulous concierge at Trump Hollywood Residences in Hollywood Beach, FL, Benny Benson, and The Luxury Concierge Network, a Luxury Lifestyle Showcase private event for their resident and guests.
 

 

The formula is a no brainer, as long as you have the right components; we entertain residents at their home, (usually a social common area in the condominium), by bringing a showcase of luxury brands and services, while offering cocktails, champagne, great food and music. This time we worked with a great line up of companies, some of them are our clients, others are already preferred vendors of the concierge, and others were invited by us to add value to the event, such as our client, David Landau Interior Designs, who curated a selection of fine pieces of art.



The highlight of the evening was the fashion component that The Webster showcased through vignettes of fashion and accessories, curated by Carlos Mejia “The Fashion Guru” who assisted in the selection and the set up; some of the brands that they chose for the event included Balenciaga, Valentino, Chanel and Ives Saint Laurent. Fine jewelry was represented by Sol Filippi Jewelry, who introduced a selection of some of her exquisite creations in semi precious stones and metals.

 

 

 

We had the pleasure to get onboard our friends from Baoli Miami, who provided with exquisite hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening, while the main bars served cocktails, wines and plenty of champagne (of course). Guests and clients alike had a fantastic time… one more opportunity to connect a select group of companies with consumers of luxury brands and services.



PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EVENT’S PHOTO ALBUM

AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

 

10th Birthday Party at Rouge Lounge in Sunny Isles

So we are not exactly know for doing birthdays or weddings, however once in a while we enjoy taking up on one of those private type of events. Early July 2013 we had the pleasure to put together a birthday party for an adorable 9 year old lady who wanted to celebrate her 10^th birthday with her friends and family. The first step was to sit down with her, mom and dad to figure out what they had in mind; fortunately for us they knew exactly what they wanted so we were able to move on to the planning stage right away.

 

The Bday Girl (that’s how we will call her) didn’t want the typical “all girly” pink, rainbows and barbies type of party… instead she wanted to have a party at a “club” and as long as mom and dad were ok with it, it sounded like a fun concept: a disco-club party for children, where adults could have fun as well. Once we knew what date they had in mind we started scouting for potential venues; after presenting 3 good options the decision was made (we loved them for making decisions quickly). Rouge Lounge is a waterfront restaurant-lounge located on the 163^rd street causeway close to Sunny Isles Beach, FL (our client’s neighborhood); a low key place that caters to a discerning upscale clientele, with indoor and outdoor sitting, it was just perfect for us. Our client rented the whole venue for the day which made our job a lot easier, of course.

 

The next steps were critical: we had to come up with the party schedule to keep children and adults busy; for the children we hired an amazing professional who specializes in entertaining children for birthdays and private parties, and did a fantastic job keeping those kids on their toes with games, dance numbers and contests all night long, while “club performers” showed up from time to time to wow them with awesome costumes and effects. Of course we had a live VJ (Video DJay) who played the coolest beats while the music videos were shown on his booth and a gigantic screen.

 



A buffet table for the kids had a selection of healthy mini-dishes, easy to grab-eat-and-go, while the bartender was mixing colorful “virgin cocktails” (without alcohol) in (disposable) champagne and martini glasses for the mini-ladies and gents.

 

While the children were having a blast inside, in the outdoor terrace the adults had their own party going on, enjoying a fabulous selection of Russian inspired food, champagne and cocktails; the lounges and set up outside was exactly what the client expected so we only gave it a final touch of décor with beautiful arrangements of red roses as center tables, and a few hanging from the ceiling.

 

A few days before all these magic happened, the client asked us at the very last minute (of course), if we could produce a video-invitation for them to send to their guests; they had already sent a “save the date” notice but now the Birthday Girl wanted a cool video, and she was very specific with what she wanted: a cartoon-style similar to the Wimpy Kid (for those who (just like me) have no idea what this is, just google it, which would incorporate her favorite sport: tennis.

To make a long story short, in 5 days our creative team conceptualized, created, got approved and produced an adorable mini-video…

 

 

CLICK ABOVE TO WATCH THE VIDEO INVITE

 
This was a truly rewarding experience, one of those that make our job worthwhile, dynamic and enjoyable… nothing better than a nice “thank you” email after an event, from a happy client.



Tosca Miami: Luxury Condo Residents Event



On Wednesday March 13th, Tosca Restaurant - 210 23rd Street Miami Beach, FL 33139 - hosted a wonderful private cocktail, exclusive for residents of select luxury condominiums. Guests enjoyed complimentary cocktails, and a special selection of passed Hors D'oeuvres by Chef Gwenael Le Pape.

                                                

A raffle of gifts was presented by the Luxury Concierge Network and its participating brands: Miami Personal Shopper, Orianne Collins, Anya Ponorovskaya, Luxury Living/Fendi Casa and Clima Outdoor Collections. Co-hosted by Design District Magazine.

Some of the guests included residents from Murano Grande, Murano at Portofino, 1500 Ocean Drive, Il Villaggio, Continuum North, Capri, and even residents from Star Island.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

Arno Elias' "The Lost Series" Opening Exhibit

Art and photography aficionados gathered at a special and never before seen exhibit by renowned French Artist Arno Elias, who is also known for his exemplary work as composer, producer and musician of Buddah Bar music. The exclusive cocktail event and art exhibit featuring his new work, The Lost Series, was held at Markowicz Fine Art Gallery, located at 114 Northeast 40th Street, in Miami's Design District.

Art collectors, gallery clients, special guests and the media attended the event on March 5th. Elias' thrilled those in attendance with his beautiful display of images from his solo world photographic tour of countries such as Kenya, Guatemala, Thailand, Egypt, India, France, England and the USA. "I want people to see the beauty of those cultures, to feel the depth of their people, the mixed emotions of pain and joy, and the diversity of our world", said Elias about his work. The “Lost Series” is a crystallization of Elias' mixed-media techniques and features powerful images he captured while he was "lost" in different cultures from the five continents.

"The expressions on the images Elias' captured transport us and make us feel as if we're there, sitting right next to a subject who's halfway around the world", said Bernard Markowicz, owner of Markowicz Fine Art Gallery. From Sari-clad women on the streets of India, to a boy in the mountains of Tibet, to an elephant on Africa's Savannah, Elias' images evoke emotion and capture a montage of his adventures.

Guests toasted with champagne and enjoyed appetizers during the event. They also got to meet and interact with Elias, whose artistic career began as a teenager. His work is on permanent exhibit in a number of art galleries around the country such as Pop International Galleries in Soho NYC and Mouche Gallery in Beverly Hills, California. Elias' paintings and photographs have been featured in prestigious art fairs such as Art Basel in Switzerland, Art Chicago and San Francisco Art Market. Elias has also worked with fashion icons, Jean Paul Gaultier and Mario Testino.

Elias is known as a world-renowned artist, not only for his photography, but for his work in new age, Buddha Bar music. Elias has worked with Latin recording artist, Shakira, and composed the score for multiple worldwide campaign videos for UNICEF.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ARNO ELIAS

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE EVENT

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

Miami Wine & Spirits Expo Media and VIP Event - The Video

We are thrilled to share with you the great work done by our clients Miami Wine & Spirits Expo at the special media and VIP reception and luncheon that they hosted, to formally announce their alliance with Miami Dade College’s Miami Culinary Institute. The new partnership will result in the creation of scholarships for culinary students from the US and Latin America, who otherwise wouldn’t have the means to have access to it. Enjoy the video...

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE EVENT

WWW.MIAMIWINEEXPO.COM

WWW.MIAMIDADECULINARY.COM

Miami Wine & Spirits Expo Media and VIP Event

A next generation of culinary chefs is getting a helping hand thanks to a new partnership between The Miami Wine & Spirits Expo and Miami Dade College’s Miami Culinary Institute. The new alliance was announced during a special media and VIP reception and luncheon on Friday, February 22, 2013 at Miami Dade College’s Miami Culinary Institute in Downtown Miami.

Miami Culinary Institute’s Wine Theater hosted the first part of the event; this state-of-the-art facility with its stadium style seating and high-tech AV system welcomed over 60 media representatives and special guests who listened to the event hosts as they shared with the audience details on the alliance, their vision and goals. Ferllen Winery welcomed everyone with a glass of their fine wines, while hors d’oeuvres from Tuyo Restaurant were passed butler style, which were created by guest chefs Victor Passalacqua, Phillipe Ruiz, Michel Chiche, Mauricio Gutierrez and Jose Casals.

Once all guests were seated overlooking the restaurant-style kitchen, which normally serves as classroom for the Miami Culinary Institute students, Jorge Quiroz – Director of Business Development for the Miami Wine & Spirits Expo - greeted guests and acknowledged co-hosts and partners. Quiroz shared their vision for this new alliance: a portion of the funds rose from the Miami Wine & Spirits Expo 2014 will go towards the Expo Foundation, whose goal is to support the Miami Culinary Institute. This will result in the creation of scholarships for students from the US and Latin America, who otherwise wouldn’t have the means to have access to it.

“We feel we are on the brink of something really special for Miami, the Miami Culinary Institute and our affiliated organizations; the vision is clear and authentic” said John Richards, Director of the Miami Culinary Institute; who emphasized on the importance of properly training future generations of professional chefs, not only with theory but also hands on experience, tasks that are achieved everyday at the MCI, thanks to the perfect blend of technology, sustainability and world-class education that it delivers.

Other speakers included Victor Passalacqua, Managing Partner of By Wines, who is already onboard to support the educational programs; “We are excited to be part of this great new initiative to help students to make their dreams come true by providing them with the tools to build a promising future, while building cultural and educational bridges between South Florida and Latin America” he said. Special guests included Ximena Hernandez, representative of the Ministry of Tourism of Colombia, and Juan Manuel Barrientos, Owner and Executive Chef of El Cielo Restaurant in Colombia

When the speeches concluded, guests were prompted to move on to the 8^th floor at Tuyo Restaurant to enjoy a special lunch menu created by Tuyo’s director, renowned chef Norman Van Aken. The food was paired with fine wines from Matarromera, Les Jamelles and Domaines Rollan, along with cocktails by Aguardiente Real 1493 and Ron Medellin.

Some of the distinguished guests who attended the affair include Maria Isabel Castro-General Consul of Colombia, Carolina Villarrubia-General Consul of Uruguay, Maximiliano Vaccaro-Director Digital Media Discovery Latin America, Ana Cecilia Velasco-COO Miami beach Chamber of Commerce, Doreen Colondres-Host of Utilisima/Fox en Español, representatives of all the supporting and sponsoring brands and organizations, as well as several media representatives.

WWW.MIAMIWINEEXPO.COM

WWW.MIAMIDADECULINARY.COM



"The Lost Series" by Arno Elias at Markowicz Fine Art

Once again, Markowicz Fine Art will host a wonderful, private event for another great artist...

THE "LOST SERIES" IS A CRYSTALLIZATION OF ELIAS' MIXED-MEDIA TECHNIQUES AND REFLECTS THE POWERFUL IMAGES HE CAPTURED DURING HIS SOLO WORLD PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF COUNTRIES SUCH AS KENYA, GUATEMALA, THAILAND, EGYPT, INDIA, FRANCE, ENGLAND AND THE AMERICAN WEST.

THE SERIES FEATURES EXQUISITE MOMENTS FROM EXOTIC LOCATIONS, AND THROUGH IT, ELIAS IS "LOST" IN THE CULTURE AND CONTEXT OF FIVE CONTINENTS. ARNO RETURNS WITH SPECTULAR IMAGES AND A PHOTOGRAPHIC MONTAGE OF HIS ADVENTURES AND WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST AND THE GALLERY PLEASE CLICK HERE

Louis XIII Experience at Fendi Casa

Upon the opening of the high season in Miami, luxury brands look for opportunities to reach out to their consumers, and private events always seem to be the perfect outlet to mingle with them.

On Wednesday, November 7th, 2012, Louis XIII cognac (by Remy Martin) hosted one of their classic event series, The Louis XIII Experience, in partnership with FENDI Casa, at their Miami Design District showroom. The affair was an intimate champagne reception for 60 VIP guests, including residents from some of the top luxury condominiums in town, socialites and philanthropists.

“The concept behind these events is to invite a very targeted and exclusive guest list to partake of a social event without exposing them to aggressive marketing or sales pitches; these events are a subtle “match-making” of luxury brands with their consumers” says Marcelo Rivero, principal of Star Services Events & Public Relations.

Guests enjoyed exquisite hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of champagne was poured, but the highlight of the evening was a private tasting of Louis XIII; a cognac manufactured using grapes from the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France. It is blended from 1200 eaux-de-vie, some more than a century in age, then it is aged in tiercons, oak barrels that are several hundred years old, in its own cellar.

The average price range is between $1,800 to $2,500 per bottle. Mathieu Levy, brand ambassador for Louis XIII, guided guests through the history of this exclusive cognac/champagne while engaging them in a group tasting that ended in a toast to celebrate life and luxury.

The event was co-hosted by luxury real estate impresario Carlo Gambino, VP of Duglas-Elliman, Vanessa Nunez, principal of Nunez Interior, a boutique high end interior design firm, and South Florida Opulence Magazine.

TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT CLICK HERE