A Garden of Gifts for DPA’s Pre-Oscar Event
It was Academy Awards weekend 2021, under circumstances that had never before happened, yet there were still a few in-person exclusive events going on around town. Among them, the DPA pre-Oscars event 21, which offered its celebrity and VIP guest list the choice of doing a drive-through or attending a mini garden party.
Held at the landmark Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel located at the intersection of Sunset and the 405, the gifting lounge was the brainchild of DPA’s Nathalie Dubois, who had a done a successful drive-through event there for the Golden Globes at the end of February.
This time, with things opening up as the pandemic gets closer to receding in the rearview, the element of a spacious, peaceful outdoor setting was an additional enticement for attendees to get out and about.
Oscar nominee for best supporting actor Paul Raci at DPA (photo by Claire Painchaud)
Among those who hit up the event, held Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24: Oscar winners Will McCormack and Michael Govier (If Anything Happens I Love You) and Alice Dovart (Colette), Marlee Matlin (Oscar presenter and nominee for Feeling Through), Paul Raci (nominee, Sound of Metal), Eduardo Ponti, Porscha Coleman, Carolina Miranda (Who Killed Sara), Angela Bassett, Molly Burnett (Queen of the South), Adina Porter (American Horror Story), Chloe Coleman (Big Little Lies, Avatar 2), Fox11 anchor Christine Devine and other celebrities, media and influencers.
Guests were gifted by 33 featured brands, including more than half a dozen set up in the lovely garden setting in the hills above the hotel.
Many of those on site were female-owned businesses including Nora’s Naturals from Montecito which served coffee elixirs made from fair market organic coffee beans from Nicaragua, Jennifer Cervantes with her Tough as a Mother Tribe jewelry and Beth Geddio’s State of Being’s fragranced affirmation candles, which lent a beautiful scent to the air. Pamela Bolado was also on hand to promote her Women Who Do Wonders foundation and magazine.
The items in gift bags represented countries across the globe. Included were French startup Fazup’s anti-radiation patch for cell phones, Finnish Henua Organics’ eco-friendly skincare moisturizer, Asea’s Renu28 Redox gel, and Malaysian Omorose Cosmetics vegan blushes and Phoenix’s House of Donalson’s fashionable luggage tags
Several guests received a special trip to Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts in French Polynesia, or one in Bali at the Soori Bali Hotel.
“I am very proud of these gift bags, and of each of these companies. We have remarkable products and I think our guests will be happy with the choice of the products. It should give all our nominees some good vibes and the hope of a return to normalcy soon,” Dubois said.
The event was certainly two steps in the right direction and guests departed with delicious, healthy take-home meals from LA’s Carvery Kitchen.
Other brands represented in the suite or gift bags: Autumn Brands, Active Kids 2.0, Topochico, Maeva Wellness,K9s Only, Carvery Kitchen, CaMeals, Luxie Beauty, Buttery Popcorn, Claymonics, Nupeutics, HandiGuru, Luxe Hotels, My Bougie Bottle, Mude, Chipz Happen, Connect with Keao, Truth in hand, and Good Dee’s.
