Today is the first spring-like day in New York city and it puts me in the mood to think about love. Like the title says, it really can come from unexpected places. For example, two of my favorite floral designers, Jessie and Kay, made a love connection right here at Preston Bailey Designs.
Any floral designer out there knows how many hours one has to work to produce an amazing event. Jessie and Kay usually travel all over the world together for various jobs we do. Somewhere along the way, between the many hours of working, creating and producing, they developed a connection. And it started out so innocuously…When I asked Kay what they did for their first date, she smiled and said, “We just went to a movie.”
I was so thrilled to hear that two pieces of my design family were going to come together to create their own new family. Last December, after finishing a royal wedding we were all working on together, they escaped to Kay’s home country of Thailand (Jessie is originally from Colombia) to have their wedding. I consider Thailand to be the capital of creativity when it comes to flowers (most of my floral designers come from Thailand).
Kay’s family was a great force in putting the wedding together, and one of my master floral designers, Sanaw, was also on hand to help the couple create their dream wedding.
Kay and Sanaw
Since spring is in the air, I want to hear all about your first love. (Maybe if you’re lucky, some day I’ll tell you about mine…)
It’s only one day before the big Celebration! I was very torn in choosing a space for the event–in these economical times I didn’t want to give a party that was too slick, so it was essential to find the right venue. I love the Armory because it’s a raw, empty space that sort of reminds me of a high school gym.
It’s been an interesting challenge transforming this space. For each new venue, there are specific elements I always focus on:
The walls–how do I cover them?
The ceiling–what am I going to hang from there?
The floor–depending on the space, sometimes I think, “How am I going to deal with this?”
The entrance
The actual decor itself
It’s always good to have as much time as possible for setting up. This being New York city, we only have about 48 hours to set up the lighting, the flowers, the stage, projections, and so much more. My crew and I will definitely be pulling an all-nighter for this one.
I’ll have more pictures of the set-up process to show you tomorrow, but for now, tell me….
What was the most exciting transformation you have ever created or witnessed?
Today’s interview is with Ira Levy, founder of Levy Lighting. Ira has worked with me on many past events, infusing my designs with his brilliant lighting sensibilities and creative touch. We talked about different lighting techniques, how to stay innovative in the industry, lighting trends for 2010 and so much more. Plus, don’t miss the video at the end where he shares what special surprises he has in store for the Celebrations book launch party.
PB: Can you tell my readers what it means to be a lighting designer and how you started your business?
Ira: I was in school and saw the Pretenders in our gym. I was completely blown away by the fact that this whole show was produced by students. The next day I joined the concert committee and got involved with producing the shows. That means when I was 19 I worked with U2, Eddie Murphy, Santana…all these groups, and I always took a liking to the lighting part of it.
We started a nightclub on campus and I continued with that after college and worked with nightclubs in general. From working with techno nightclubs, I became involved in the rave scene. One of the first rave parties I did in New York, actually, was at the Armory at 26th and Lexington! It was before Marc Jacobs, before VH1, before anybody did a party there. We were there. It’s funny to be coming back full circle.
PB: Oh, that’s such a great coincidence. Tell me more.
Ira: When I decided to go out on my own, I started in fashion. I did something for Donna Karan where she wanted water in her new apartment (because she does meditation) so I installed a water projection for her. From there, I started working with Calvin Klein and all these different companies.
My sensibility from a lighting point of view came from fashion, which is about clean lines, meticulous installations and a really professional approach. I wasn’t involved with social events at first, and for years people would say to me, “You know who would be a perfect fit for you? Preston Bailey.”
PB: Can you tell me more about staying on the cutting edge of lighting innovation?
Ira: I’m really married to technology. I think that especially with light, it’s such an important thing. It’s a mysterious art form and technology is an important aspect of what I do.
I like to be very forward thinking in what I do, for creative stimulation and from a competitive standpoint. I think that a lot of people, especially in this social market, are stuck in a low-tech world, but I think there’s a way to use technology without it feeling “high-tech” and cold.
Let’s talk about lighting technology like cell phones. Every year they get smaller and lighter, and with lighting it’s the same thing. Now, we’re able to illuminate things brighter, cleaner and sharper but with a smaller fixture.
PB: What are some lighting trends for 2010?
Ira: Well, projection is getting to a point where it’s becoming much more user-friendly so we’re able to use projection as different types of light and backgrounds for different things. So, rather than having to constantly use fabric and material like that, you can now utilize light as actual projected elements.
There’s also interactive technology where people are now becoming part of the event. Rather than just walking in, people will enter a space and be able to play with something. Right away it sets a mood and tone for the personality of the event.
PB: What’s your favorite part of doing lighting design?
Ira: My favorite part is when you first walk into a space and you really visualize how you can transform it. For example, the first day of set up–I enjoy seeing the equipment, the trucks, the people… These jobs are on such a large scale, we spend a week or two working on them so we get to know each other, bond and become a family.
For the last question, Ira sent me a video clip of his plans for my book party and what he has in store for the guests. Click play below to find out what sort of lighting surprises guests can expect at the Celebrations book launch.
If you’d like to contact Ira or need more info from him, feel free to email: info@levylighting.com
Can you tell me about a party you attended where the lighting really impressed you?
I sat down with Darren Olarsch, President of On the Move Entertainment and Eventsto get his thoughts on the entertainment industry, how to stay innovative in the ever-changing world of music, and try to get you the dirt on who will be performing as the surprise guest at my Celebrations launch party. Did he reveal the secret? Read on to find out.
PB: Tell us about your company and how you got started.
Darren: On the Move has been around for 18 years. We started, literally, right out of college. We wanted to be in the business of having fun and being able to make a little money and found that the music business was the calling.
PB: What makes your company different from other entertainment vendors?
Darren: We’re a boutique entertainment company. We prefer to be a smaller company where my partner Joe and myself are in touch with every single client. We’re involved with every single song that gets played at every single party. That personal touch makes whatever we’re doing, at any party, pretty special.
PB: Can you share your thoughts about music and how it should affect the flow of the party?
Darren: Sure. Especially for a party like your Celebrations book launch, we believe in building the party. So, instead of hitting everybody hard as soon as they walk in the door, it’s a process. It’s taking people on a trip. When they come into the room, we start out with something ambient, a little mysterious and then build up the tempo from there. By the time this party gets kicked into full gear, it’s rockin’.
PB: How do you stay innovative within the entertainment industry?
Darren: You need to be in touch with what’s going on out there in the clubs and the scenes, not just here in New York but globally. My DJs don’t just work here in New York, they do events across the globe from Europe to Asia. There are hot tracks happening right now in Europe that haven’t even hit the States yet. So by the time they hit here, if we’re the first ones doing it, we look like the heroes.
PB: What’s your favorite aspect of each gig?
Darren: My favorite aspect of each gig is seeing the reaction of our client. When they’re on the dance floor and they’re movin’ and they look up and realize, “Holy cow, this place is awesome,” that’s when we get the good response. When they look over at us and give us a little wink or a thumbs up…that’s what it’s all about.
For the last question, you can hear from Darren personally in the video below. I asked him: Can you give my readers any information about who will be performing at my Celebrations book party?
Click play to find out the answer:
Who is your favorite band or DJ and why? Let me know. If you’d like to contact Darren or need more info from him, feel free to email: info@onthemove.com.
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