Following the Robert Dallet Dinner hosted by Hermès, we were approached by the Rahejas to design for a second event -- a 40th birthday celebration.
The clients' brief was to ensure their guests an unforgettable experience, with a party that was to be the toast of the year. The venue was the banquet hall of the Raheja-owned JW Marriott Hotel in Mumbai; this allowed for the décor to extend from the driveway to the banquet hall, so attendees were immersed in the theme from start to finish.
Our design layout was inspired by the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland; guests entered the hotel lobby shrouded in dim lights and foliage courtesy vertical gardens, to give it the feel of an enchanted wood. A 40-foot long tunnel, synonymous with Alice falling down the rabbit’s hole, featured purple hues and perforated lighting. Ushers wearing large rabbit-head masks escorted guests through this tunnel into an anteroom, replete with Dali-style melting clocks symbolising lost time.
From here one stepped into the main banquet area, its walls draped in black fabric and featuring imitation 12-foot-high arched windows. Each window panel was backlit with different illustrations from the children's favourite and the centrally-placed bar was entirely foliage-driven, to resemble a forest.
The cocktail and dinner sections were separated by a larger-than-life house of cards, each card featuring custom drawings inspired by the book and significances personal to the guest of honour. A small alcove within the cocktail area, a 12'x12' space, featured as the photobooth. Attendees had to pass under the legs of a 12-foot-high Alice figure to get inside, only to discover the scene from the book's tea party. There was one unique feature at play, however -- everything in this 'anti-gravity' room was upside down, with flying cupcakes and furniture, so guests could have their picture taken as if floating in space.
The banquet hall opened out onto a courtyard behind, with 10-foot-high chess pieces finished in foliage for a topiary-like appearance.
In addition to designing the event, we conceptualised the invites, which were animated videos apprising guests of the theme for the night; we were even requested to look into food and cocktails by our clients, and obliged them by providing the food plating designs.
