Planning a luxury event? Here are 15 unique New York City venues you should check out! - Part 1

1. Boom at The Standard, Highline

The Standard, High Line, 848 Washington St, New York, NY 10014

1. Boom’s first impression when you enter the main space. 2. Two guests posing with their sketches by Deanna Kei. 3. A view of the southeast corner of the room.

Guests holding their fashion sketches by Deanna Kei, and a photo of the central bar inside Boom.

1. Guests Ashley Masse and @Keee.llyy with their fashion sketches by Deanna Kei. 2. The bar in the center of the room featuring Eberjey’s logo. 3. Guest Derek Dengg with his sketch by Deanna Kei.

Faith Passantino and Danielle Olivera with their fashion sketches by Deanna Kei.

1. Guest Faith Passantino from @YourMorningLatte with her sketch from Deanna Kei 2. Mirrored panel wall, reflecting the NY setting sun inside Boom. 3. Guest Danielle Olivera with her live fashion sketch by Deanna Kei.

This exclusive luxury venue boasts breathtaking views of the New York city skyline and the Hudson River. Boom is part of the Standard hotel, which overlooks the High Line, and is a short walk from Little Island and luxury shopping.

The abundance of windows and mirror paneling make it the perfect place to catch the Manhattan sunset. The venue interior is equally beautiful, adorned in golden hues. There are multiple sections and areas to set up different activations, allowing your guests to organically flow through your event.

The brand Eberjey held an elegant holiday pajama party event at Boom this holiday season with Laneige, and included a live fashion illustration station, as well as a skincare station. Get inspired by some of the photos from their event below!

Why this venue is great:

  • Exclusive luxury venue with lavish interior

  • Amazing views of the New York City skyline

  • Large space with customization and branding options


2. The Invisible Collection

24 E 64th St, New York, NY 10065 - Upper East Side

1. Catering by Spilt Milk Collective. 2. The entranceway to The Invisible Collection 3. Sulwhasoo branding on a mirror inside The Invisible Collection.

1. The Invisible Collection, street view 2. Sulwhasoo x The Invisible Collection special edition postcard illustrated by Deanna Kei, a personalized Sulwhasoo serum bottle by Deanna Kei, and a floral display by Dearest Rachel Designs. 3. Guest with her personalized serum bottle by Deanna Kei

The Invisible Collection’s townhouse is a beautiful Upper East Side building, just moments away from Central Park. The interior has a fresh and modern vibe. There are multiple rooms and spaces, which make it an ideal venue for multi-activation events. The collection’s furniture and décor are the perfect backdrop for photos.

Sulwhasoo hosted a master class event there this past summer, coordinated by Purple PR. They brought in celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo to host a class and a demo for invited skincare industry influencers.

Guests were treated to catering by Spilt Milk Collective, and could get their gifted Sulwhasoo serum bottles customized with live art by illustrator Deanna Kei. Her live art bottle designs included New York City themes, as well as Sulwhasoo branding elements, like ginseng roots and lockets.

Floral décor was done by Dearest Rachel Designs, with event design by Martin Jobes Design, and photos by Parker’s Pictures. The Sulwhasoo branding and colors were consistent through the space and really came together elegantly.

Why this venue is great:

  • Bright and airy space

  • Multiple rooms for activations

  • Convenient Upper East Side location

  • Designer furniture and décor


3. NeueHouse Madison Square

110 E 25th St, New York, NY

1. Amphitheater seating area near the bar. 2. The bar 3. Stilt performers mingling with the guests

View of inside NeueHouse, Live artist Deanna Kei sketching, and a guest holding their sketch by Deanna Kei

1. Seating area across from the bar. 2. Live Fashion sketch station, sketches by Deanna Kei 3. Event guest holding their sketch by Deanna Kei.

The NeueHouse Madison Square location is a luxurious private event space that includes a gallery bar, and ground-floor amphitheater seating. The furnishings are a modern take on ‘old New York.’ The entire space has such strong styling and visuals.

Attentive hosted a special conference event here last fall. Entertainment included stilt performers and live guest fashion sketches by Deanna Kei.

Why this venue is great:

  • Beautifully designed rooms

  • Open floor layout

  • Ambient lighting and cozy atmosphere

  • Large space with multiple unique areas


4. Swingers Nomad

35 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001

1. Swingers indoor mini-golf course. 2. Live fashion sketches Station 3. Guest holding their sketch by Deanna Kei

1. Guest posing for their live fashion sketch by Deanna Kei. 2. Bar inside one of the private rooms. 3. Guest illustration by Deanna Kei.

Google hosted their corporate holiday event inside the Swingers Nomad location. The venue is one of Manhattan’s most iconic indoor mini golf locations, with multiple private party rooms, food stands, bars, and mini-golf courses. The courses resemble lush gardens with ‘crazy golf' elements, including windmills and waterwheels.

It was the perfect place for Google employees to end the workday and kick off the holiday season with drinks, food, live fashion sketches, and a round of mini golf!

Why this venue is great:

  • Multiple rooms for different activations

  • Mini golf and mingling

  • Bar lounge with a view of the course

  • Lots of photo ops and cool backgrounds


5. 632 on Hudson

632 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014

1. Sketch by Deanna Kei on the upper level. 2. View from the upper level. 3. View from outside 632 on Hudson.

The exterior of 632 on Hudson gives little indication of the breathtaking Art Deco interior that lies beyond its doors, so when you enter you’re immediately hit with a ‘wow moment’. This stunning venue is perfect for intimate events.

Adyen chose 632 on Hudson for a special night of presentations with a celebrity keynote speaker. The guests were seated on the main floor during the presentation and then spent the rest of the evening exploring the floors and balconies above and mingling at the bar.

During the presentation, live artist Deanna Kei was stationed on the above balcony, creating live sketches of each of the speakers. Then live calligrapher Viviane Rodrigues added quotes from the speakers to each of their sketches. Adyen surprised their presenters with these as gifts at the end of the night.

Why this venue is great:

  • Multiple balconies overlooking the main floor

  • Rooftop garden

  • A basement speakeasy

1. Amal Clooney looks at the art Deanna Kei and Viviane Rodrigues created of her 2. Deanna Kei does live fashion sketches of the presenters from the balcony.

Calligraphy by Viviane Rodrigues and fashion art by Deanna Kei

Each of the presenters received a sketch of themselves speaking, with a quote from their presentation. The sketches were drawn by Deanna Kei, and lettering was added by Viviane Rodrigues.


Here are 5 of the 15 unique NYC venues you’ve got to check out! Stay tuned for Part 2 — More creative venues coming your way!

Have a favorite spot? Let us know in the comments below!


Deanna Kei is a fashion and beauty illustrator who collaborates with brands to create custom illustrations. She also sketches guests live at special events, brand activations, weddings, and private parties. To book live fashion art for your next event contact: DeannaKei@gmail.com or see here for more details!

A recap of Barbie's 65th Anniversary Celebration in NYC

Everyone knows that Barbie throws the best parties!

The Barbie shop inside the iconic F.A.O Schwarz toy store in Manhattan, NY was the perfect location for her 65th Anniversary. It was an event to remember, with an interactive activation that included live fashion sketches by Fashion Illustrator Deanna Kei (that’s me!) , and lots of other fun gifts!

Fashion Illustrator, Deanna Kei

The energy level inside the shop was off the charts! Everyone was so happy to be there! At the Barbie shop, fans can customize their very own Barbies with the help of a trained Barbie stylist. Each time a kid finished customizing their Barbie doll, the stylist presented them to the audience by name and everyone in the shop gave them a round of applause. The applause were going all day and had everyone smiling.

After guests chose their Barbies, they were treated to Barbie donuts and fashion sketches of themselves as a Barbie doll!

@deborahtroyannchester

It was a fun filled day full of cute photo ops! Shoppers were given a Barbie hat with their purchases and the large Barbie box at the front of the store made the best frame for photos!

Barbie shoppers who spent $75 or more were able to have a live illustration done of themselves. The fashion illustrations were framed with a pink Barbie box border. It was the perfect memento from the day!

Krispy Kreme joined in on the festivities with a beautiful donut display of their Barbie x Krispy Kreme collaboration donuts. There were 4 different flavors to choose from, each featuring a different design! The Barbie donuts are available outside of the event too!* See Krispy Kreme for details.

@Prinzechris

@prinzechris

Barbie fans showed up from all over, dressed in their best Barbie outfits. It was so much fun sketching everyone and chatting with them about their collections! There was a fun crowd around the sketch station and everyone was mingling with each other and showing off their Barbies and it was really just such an amazing day full of good, pink vibes!

The Barbie shop is located inside F.A.O Schwarz and is definitely worth a visit!


Deanna Kei is a fashion and beauty illustrator who works with brands to create custom illustrations, and she also sketches guests live at special events. To book live fashion art for your next event contact: DeannaKei@gmail.com or see here for more details!


Inspired: Décor and details - An Amalfi Coast themed bridal shower

Design is in the details and this bridal shower was laden with meticulously curated details! Guests were visually swept away to the Mediterranean coast the moment they entered this space. The venue was adorned in lemon yellow hues and Capri blues for the occasion. A vibrant welcome sign greeted guests at the door and the color story continued through out the space, from the delicate place settings, down to the table seating cards which were composed of beautiful white roses, each in their own glass vase with the guests’ names and table numbers attached.

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

The event was designed and planned by Party with Sol and they definitely brought the ‘sol’ to this vibrant bridal shower!

The Maritime Parc, set inside Jersey City’s Liberty State Park was the perfect venue for this intimate brunch. The large windows brought in natural lighting and the room had plenty of space for with space for mingling as well as table seating.

Guests were treated to live acoustic music by Lawrence Trailer and live fashion illustrations by Deanna Kei (~ that’s me!)

The sketches were a hit! Guests were invited to be turned into fashion illustration versions of themselves and each walked away with a special keepsake from the day! Since it was a sit down event, guests posed for a quick photo at the sketching station and were able to return to their seats while their drawings were being created on the spot. Then they were able to pick up their sketches at their leisure.

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography - Illustration: Deanna Kei

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography - Illustration: Deanna Kei

The bride-to-be wore a beautiful white sundress with a corseted bodice and a full skirt.

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography - Illustration: Deanna Kei

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

There was a gorgeous back drop set out for people to take selfies and photos in front of. It was the perfect spot for the cake cutting!

The event was photographed by Walter Wall Photography. The breathtaking images in this post are credit to Walter Wall Photography.

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

Each of the guests were dressed for the occasion. Here are some more illustrations of their looks!:

Credit: Walter Wall Photography - Illustration: Deanna Kei

Credit: Walter Wall Photography - Illustration: Deanna Kei

*Photo - Deanna Kei , phone pic

Credit: Walter Wall Photography

*Photo - Deanna Kei , phone pic

Here are some of the vendors who made the event such a success:

Venue: The Maritime Parc , Jersey City, New Jersey USA

Event Planner: Party With Sol

Music: Lawrence Trailer - Trailer Entertainment

Photographer: Walter Wall Photography

Live Fashion Art: Deanna Kei


Deanna Kei is a New York based live event illustrator who turns guests into fun fashion illustrations at special events. She’s available to book for live events, and for custom illustration projects *Contact deannakei@gmail.com