ENTERTAINING & DÉCOR
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BLOOMS
Well it has been an exciting last few weeks here at SW HQ, particularly with the arrival of the much-anticipated SAMANTHA WILLS Zodiac collection. In this issue we will take you through the Zodiac launch journey and give you exclusive access to some truly magical displays and how it all came to life. An extension of our Fine collection, SW Zodiac was essentially born out of my fascination with astrology. The collection features pendant necklaces and bangles for each unique star sign in sterling silver, plated 9ct gold & rose gold. Each piece is accompanied by a limited edition luxe card displaying each sign’s inner femme warrior, illustrated by my friend, the super talented Kelly Smith .
Kelly is such a phenomenal artist and to have her recreate each sign in her whimsical femme way was really exciting. I wanted to infuse this beauty into the packaging as zodiacs are so personal and hoped it would remind the wearer of some of their most beautiful core traits. With the media launch we wanted to best capture the beauty of all 12 signs while also successfully entertaining guests with fine sparkling wine, delicious roaming canapĂŠs and even a fortune telling experience with Sandra - my spiritual reader, treasured friend and often advisor! We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed making it Creatively Yours,
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inspiration BOARD
The inspiration was to bring to life SAMANTHA WILLS’ signature bohemian feminine finishes and Kelly’s artistic flair to ultimately create a feeling of whimsy, mystery & luxury. We chose to host the event at a hidden studio space, District 01, only accessed via a quiet laneway in Surry Hills. With blank white brick walls, white floors and exposed wooden beams, the space was perfect for the creative freedom to drill, hang, drape, transform. The display particularly was inspired by over the top dining tables with an abundance of candles, blooms and crystal. In everything we do, we have in mind Samantha’s display philosophy of ‘more is more’ to provide the ultimate opulent experience for our guests.
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PALETTE It was important for us to begin with a blank white canvas to really bring out the beauty of Kelly’s artworks we hung on the walls, surrounding the jewellery display. Our base palette is always our brand colours, white, black, pastel pink and gold. We then take this and add splashes of colour to represent a particular mood or atmosphere we are trying to create. With this event, we incorporated a rainbow of pastel colours in our floral installation hung above our display to complete our Zodiac wonderland, while also making a good photo for guests.
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We were lucky enough to have our friends at Yellowglen & Mount Franklin to provide our guests with the refreshments for the evening, all served by (two very cute) waiters circulating the room with a smile. Gallivant Events & Catering were our food specialists who whipped up roaming canapĂŠs; garden peas, mint, sage crostini with pecorino, Chioggia beetroot, goats curd, truffle honey, tartlet of scallop, prawn, crab with a lemon chive emulsion & delicate lemon tartlets with crystalised violates. These beautiful bite size morsels were delicious!
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ATMOSPHERE With a custom designed & built zodiac media wall at the entrance of the event, guests were immediately treated like a super star. Moving only a few short steps, fashion VIPs, local celebrities and bloggers were invited to view a magical display and instantly wowed by a very large hanging floral display among the signature SW letters positioned above an embellished antique dining table. As they moved around the table, candlelight both on the table and on the floor reflected off the sparkling jewels and crystal chandelier lamps, creating a romantic atmosphere.
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Each star sign had its own unique display, encouraging guests to find their zodiac girl, shoot it and share it with friends. While some viewed the jewels, others chose to view Kelly’s artworks in more detail and read sign descriptions next to each. Once familiar with the collection, guests lined up to have their future told by special guest and spiritual reader, Sandra. Interesting revelations quickly began to spread among the crowd, all amazed by how accurate Sandra was in what she had to expose. Background music filled the air as all vibrantly chatted and sipped on their sparkling wine, all happy and excited to be celebrating a SAMANTHA WILLS milestone.
DOMAYNE
Our opulent table chandeliers from Domayne were also key styling props. They really brought the table to life, adding a luxury element and perfect under our rain of blooms.
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SCENT ofHOME The Scent of Home candles in Gardenia were among our main display, setting a romantic aroma in the studio. Guests also took one home in their gift bags to continue the experience.
LOVE & PROTECT
Our team used Love & Protect flameless candles for the floor candle displays - not only do they look completely real, burn for 450 hours, but are 100% safe. We used the ivory shade in various sizes to create a cluster look.
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JEWELS The collection features 12 pendants and 12 bangles with their very own unique symbol representing each star sign. All available in three shades; sterling silver, gold & rose gold.
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tips • Never rule out blank spaces, they often work well when creating installments that need to stand out among other event elements • Hanging is key for visual impact. Whether it is floral, crystal glasses or even DIY paper craft, there’s always that element of surprise when you have some beauty moments hanging above you! • Layer. With all our displays we find it more visually exciting to layer different elements together to tell your story successfully • Book a trip to Bunnings & invest in a drill. Many event elements can be created without the help of the professionals. Our team created a rustic swing for the flower display by simply purchasing a plank of precut wood, drilling four holes and tying ropes through!
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fashion &
FRIENDS
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GET SAMANTHA’S STYLE HER SELECTIONS FOR THE PERFECT BOHEMIAN ENSEMBLE
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[SHOP NOW] Samantha looked stunning in a hand embellished Sass & Bide dress from Designer Forum. She paired this back with the Safari Nights ring and a signature Bohemian Bardot ring and of course, her Sagittarius necklace which she never takes off. The look was completed with her super luxe nude Christian Louboutin Décolleté leather pumps.
The Sagittarius girl is a passionate creature. She is truthful. She is uninhibited and instinctual. Her fiery heart hunts for things that keep it alit, always. [SHOP YOUR STAR SIGN]
WITH THANKS VENUE DISTRICT 01 - district01.com.au REFRESHMENTS YELLOWGLEN - .yellowglen.com MOUNT FRANKLIN - mountfranklinwater.com.au CATERING GALLIVANT EVENTS & CATERING - gallivant.com.au PHOTOGRAPHER SCOTT EHLER - scott@scottehler.com PROPS CHANDELIERS DOMAYNE - domayneonline.com.au FLAMELESS CANDLES LOVE & PROTECT - loveandprotect.com.au FLORAL INSTALLATION ALEKSANDRA - aleksandra.com.au THE PROPERY - thepropery.com.au ACE PROPS - aceprops.com.au GOODIE BAGS SK-II - sk-ii.com.au O&M - originalmineral.com SCENT OF HOME - facebook.com/TheScentOfHome?fref=ts
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