Calling the 2nd annual Little Black Dress party at the JW Marriott an epic event is truly an understatement. The party that surprised its guest with a symphonic performance last year featuring the Grand Rapids Symphony and DJ Todd Ernst turned up the heat again by collaborating with designer Matt Jurecic's Haus of Leisure Le Garcon LaFrance's
"The Women" fashion show. The mezzanine of the hotel started filling up as soon as the doors opened at 8:00 P.M and by the time the fashion show started at 10 P.M., the event attendance had swelled to 600 beautifully clad guests.
Of course, little black dresses were the signature decorum for the evening and the women did not disappoint with their parade of noir outfits. The dance floor was packed all night and the libations poured as if these kind of parties have never happened in GR before. Due to the massive show of support for the event, party guests overflowed into the JW Marriott's Mixology lounge on the first level. This party was rocking so much, the revelers cleaned the hotel of its vodka and gin supply at the end of the night; not to mention the ATM machine, which was also wiped out of cash.
I had to stop at one point to gaze around the room to simply take in the magnificent sight of the highly energized event filled with stylized men and female fashionista's. This emerging city has truly arrived. Is this Grand Rapids? You bet it is.
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6 comments:
what can i say about my black swan? grand rapids inspires my creativity... we're a happenin' place! :)
By far the best party of 2011!!! Looking forward to what the JW will impress Grand Rapids with next!
It was nice to witnessed the different appearance on a different stylish black attire...
Fashions... -Alia S.-
Sorry to say that this was not a well organized event. It was crowded, tight, poorly planned show that started almost 2 hours later than advertised. JW can do better - I say this in a good way :).
Thank you for the constructive feedback. It is definitely well taken. Part of the allure of LBD is staging it in a different setting other than a ballroom. The hotel did not expect the crowd to swell this much as we did about half the number last year - however, staging it in the ballroom would have made the party a lot less happening.
As for the fashion show, the event started way too late as the show organizers encountered some unforeseen issues. The hotel was definitely not pleased with the delay but understand that it was also the first time for the show organizers. Avoiding this kind of delay will be taken into serious consideration next time.
After the fashion show, the music started and the party spread out a bit. Given the large crowd at the party, partygoers spilled out into Mixology and six.one.six which helped sales a lot. The hotel was also near a sell out. And for those who were able to get past the crowds before and during the show, it was an epic night.
I remember not too long ago when none of these events happened in GR. Ever since we started these hotel parties in the summer of 2009, downtown has seriously taken a big jump in excitement when it came to hosting parties that are open to everyone for free or at a low price point.
The hotel apologizes for any inconvenience. These parties have been a great journey which we will continue to perfect to bring fun activities to our once sleepy downtown.
Thank you.
Also, just as a correction to your 2 hour delay comment, the party started at 8PM but the fashion show was slated for 9pm. Unfortunately, the fashion show took an extra hour to get going. I'm sure given the hundreds of people, that one hour delay seemed like an eternity:)
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