“
An artistic theme that started on a mood board not only ended up blossoming into that stunning invitation that Natasha drew but the flowers and touches that made the whole party feel like you were walking in a work of art.
”
The Spectator Summer Party ‘24
Concept and development
Art direction
Design, illustration & calligraphy
Event director: Danielle Wall
For The Spectator’s 2024 Summer Party, I conceptualised the theme of ‘vintage surrealism’, aiming for an expressive, romantic aesthetic – perfect for a summer’s evening. The Spectator magazine covers are well known for their political satire. however, this theme was an opportunity to draw on the stranger, lesser-known surreal cover art from across the archives, and surprise guests with a more sophisticated angle to the brand.
The theme allowed for an art-direction-led approach that could shape the overall event design more conceptually, rather than simply design an invitation. The identity expanded across the invitation, event artwork, props and décor. Moving away from the standard lightbox-bar-led setup, guests were immersed into a much more heavily botanical environment: oversized paper flowers, blue roses and flowers in cloches spoke to the vintage surrealism theme, whilst English summer florals brought it all back to feeling distinctly ‘Spectator’.
The Spectator Summer Party ‘24
Concept & development
Art direction
Design, illustration & calligraphy
Event direction: Danielle Wall
