Prohibition 1920's Party, Portland Place
An eagerly anticipated new event the Prohibition 1920's themed party took place at the opulent 33 Portland Place mansion last Saturday 7th June and as a person who enjoys themed events I had to be there!
Prohibition 1920's event organiser Mark Holdstock told me they never advertise their events and after the success of just four events at Bourne & Hollingsworth they decided to move their event to a more spacious and well chosen venue perfectly suited for the 1920's theme.
33 Portland Place, a former embassy is a historical building where events, launches and photo shoots have taken place. On arrival we were ushered into the mansion building and a charming young man wearing hat, coat and tails welcomed us, explained the event programme and handed us our $100 gambling play money to have fun on the casino roulette table for a chance to win a bottle of bubbly. We wandered around and discovered a dimly lit room at the back of the house with groups of ladies and gents playing card games and a film screen with vintage movie clips in the background - very atmospheric.
Every part of the experience was made to look and feel authentic including the drinks on offer which included Hendricks Gin and cocktails served in Staffordshire China tea cups and tea pots as alcohol used to be disguised and served in teacups during the prohibition era. Most ladies had made a great effort to look the part with glamorous 20's outfits and many wore vintage dresses with accessories such as cigarette holders, fur capes, fishnet/silk stockings, beads and pearl necklaces, petticoats, corsets, suspenders and 20's hairstyles decorated with feathers. Some men wore Smoking jackets and held pipes.
The DJ played a fine selection of tracks enjoyed by all including records from the 20's, 40's moving through the decades to the 50's and 60's. Whilst people danced the Charleston, throughout the evening a programme of entertainment included French singers with accordion players, Can Can dancers, Japanese Geisha dancing and a surprise police siren raid!
When the party was in full swing we explored upstairs via the wrought iron staircase leading to an elegant drawing room where party guests languished in sumptuous surroundings, the room made an ideal chill out zone for people to chat and relax in a warm homely atmosphere.
As we left the house saying farewell to our debonair hosts Edward Davenport and Laurence Edney (with the latter) still wearing his silk night gown clutching a cane stick my mother Amita enquired with a naughty smile ''Do you mind me asking what you're wearing underneath the dressing gown?''
''Ah-ha...why don't you have a look and find out?'' he replied grinning to which my mother answered ''Oh really...I shall relish that thought!''
by Gina Chrysanthou ©
Click link to view collection of event photos http://www.pukkapr.com/gallery/view.aspx?cat=Parties+People+and+Places
2nd Event at Prima - Sohail Anjum & Halimah's Birthday Bash
Fancy dress was the order of the evening at the joint
Birthday bash of Sohail a leading London photographer
and make-up artist Halimah - Prima being the City venue for the event last Saturday 14th June.
Guests floated around in a variety of costumes with a
film or fairytale theme looking exotic, camp or funny
like the man mimicking Churchill complete with fat
cigar and hat bouncing to bhangra music... Sohail
the host was dressed as a prisoner in an orange boiler suit with handcuffs and a heavy six o'clock shadow looking like he'd just escaped from Guantanamo Bay!
Other notable characters bopping about were Queen of
Sheba and the Karate Kid; man dressed as ‘Scream' was
chasing Audrey Hepburn; Zorro and a pirate were crossing swords as a big bad pimp was prowling for prey. Cat woman was twirling around Ali Baba & the lads in 70's funk while suave Humphrey Bogart and James Bond with his maltesers-firing pistol were being enmeshed in the black widow's wily web; and Batman flew to the rescue of a sexy nurse and little Bo Peep while characters from film and fantasy materialized on the dance floor during the course of a fun night out...
By Amita Chatterji ©
Sohail Anjum (centre) and guests
Click link to view collection of event photos http://www.pukkapr.com/gallery/view.aspx?cat=Parties+People+and+Places
Photos for both events by Gina and Amita