Have you ever participated in a 1920s - 1940s theme party with an emphasis on vintage fashion, elegance, fellowship and faith? Well, the premier to the Dress Like A Gent Vintage Experience embodied a host of these ideas and more.
On Friday, July 31, 2015, Founder of Dress Like A Gent™ (DLAG), Brian Alonzo Hampton, along with about 35 VIP guests, met up at the beautiful and historic Brawner Hall in Smyrna, Georgia to celebrate the Founder’s 35th Birthday and Official Brand Launch. Mr. Hampton, along with the administrative help of his wife Daniella, intentionally mapped out an evening that would truly be an experience for its participants and become one of which they would absolutely never forget. From start to finish, the soirée was purposely infused with era-appropriate themes to showcase some of the fashion pieces and cultural trends of this period. For example, upon the guests entering into the dedicated dining area, there was a video compilation on the flat screen displaying some of the more popular dances of the that time such as the Jitterbug, the Charleston and the Fox Trot. This helped to create an ambiance fitting for the vintage theme as the on-lookers studied the choreographs to the dances and the people involved.
Mind you, prior to the day of the event, DLAG contacted all of his guests virtually to encourage them about finding an era-appropriate ensemble to wear including a hat or headpiece as the topper. There were online links provided, photo examples, and a list of local vintage consignment spots they could browse at their own leisure. The idea was to get the people into the mindset of re-inventing a vintage ensemble that was tailored for them and by them to put them in the right frame of mind for the Friday's gathering. The table settings were laid with custom bow tie napkins laced in burlap, a pamphlet including DLAG’s official logo, bio and vision for the event, complimenting neo-vintage silverware and flatware, and even old-fashion mason jars for the guests to use for their beverages and keep as a souvenir.
The menu included delicious rotisserie cutlets, braised kale smothered in smoked turkey, a veggie medley topped over fluffy yellow rice, a fix-it-your-way garden salad, sweet cornbread muffins, and to drink, the option of old-fashioned lemonade, sweet tea or bottled water. Mr. Hampton shared the vision that sparked this event to inform his guests that we sometimes have to do something unconventional and out of the norm in order to elevate the way we think about ourselves and to see our purpose in a fresh new way. As the evening progressed, the guests participated in a fashion trivia ice-breaker following a toast in the additional room across the hall. In conjunction with the toast and cutting of the birthday cake, the evening concluded with opening up the dance floor as everyone got their retro-vintage groove on and danced the night away in the spacious studio room of Brawner Hall.
Following the event, the response and feedback was so great, that we are actively making plans for a sequel to The DLAG Vintage Experience sometime in the near future. Stay tuned to www.DressLikeAGent.co for details. And a special thanks to all of our DLAG guests who helped to make the event as phenomenal as it was!
And last, a big Kudos to Lindsay Abarca Photography for these amazing images!
DRESS LIKE A GENT