Sunday, February 12, 2012

the BAFTA awards event (lyn)

A few weeks ago at Weight Watchers, our leader Steve spoke about the go-to meal.  It’s the meal that’s easy to prepare, healthy, and satisfying.  Everyone volunteered their favorites.  Mine was probably sushi.

Similarly, I believe that everyone should have a go-to outfit.  It’s the one that fits, that you feel good wearing, and that satisfies most dress codes, even the ambiguous ones.   Mine is some variation of the following:
  • A black skirt (either my pencil skirt from Wolford or my black Thakoon skirt)
  • A cashmere sweater (color and style vary, depending on the occasion)
  • Black opaque tights
  • Black booties or boots (determined primarily by how much standing is involved)
Today I am volunteering for a BAFTA event where BAFTA members and guests can watch a live feed of the award ceremony in London, while eating and drinking in New York.  I have never been before because (a) it costs $100 to attend, and (b) it seems like a lot of money to pay for watching a TV show, even if good food is being served.

I have no idea what to wear, so I choose a variation of my go-to outfit:
  • A black Wolford skirt
  • A small black cashmere sweater with little ties on the side
  • Black opaque stockings
  • My favorite flat-heeled Prada black boots that are almost as comfortable as my Uggs and look a whole lot better
  • A black cashmere Loro Piana fringed scarf
The 130 guests arrive in a wide variety of outfits…from sparkling glittery tops and shoes to bold colored look-at-me dresses to quiet Diane von Furstenberg wraps to sloppy jeans, better suited for a rap concert.  I am appropriately dressed in New York black.

The event is hosted at the offices of BBC. It's a magnificent space that is easily converted into a party venue.  6-8 large TV monitors hang from the ceiling.  Tables are tastefully covered in orange linen, and topped with vases of yellow and green flowers.  If you don't want to sit at a table, you can cozy up in a restaurant-style booth or sit with two or three others at small round bar tables. Or, like me, you can sit on the stadium-style wooden benches dotted with comfortable cushions, and watch the show on a very large video wall. 

I help with set-up, check-in, and check-out.  The rest of the time I am eating and watching the awards show.  The Artist takes Best Picture and its male star, Jean Dujardin, wins Best Actor.  Meryl Streep wins for her role as Margaret Thatcher.  There are no real surprises. 

The food, catered by Abigail Kirsch, is exquisite.  I partake in all of it…little pizzas topped with figs or salmon, macaroni and cheese, chicken skewers, salad, and something with eggplant called baba ganoush.  Desserts are little chocolate chip cookies and mini-chocolate or raspberry cakes.  I start eating around 4 and don’t stop until the ceremony ends two hours later.  

There’s something to be said for a one-meal day, even if that one-meal is a two-hour eating spree.  I'm just grateful that the BAFTA’s ceremony didn’t go into overtime.


No comments:

Post a Comment