"High Tea with Alison & Sebastian" is our newest column. Stylewhipped's Alison Stewart and fashion photographer Sebastian Smith bring you interviews with fashion-industry insiders, models, actors, and other luminaries we admire, generously brought to you from our very favorite spot for tea service, Soho's Sanctuary T. "High Tea" will be published whenever we find someone interesting we want to chat with...
So who was our first guest? None other than the sought-after party planner Kevin Crawford, who met us at Sanctuary T wearing a fitted white shirt, skinny tie, the narrowest jeans and a fashion-y cap pulled low over one eye. With his cool-kid persona, yet totally open and heartfelt way of telling his story, Kevin was absolutely the perfect choice to kick off Stylewhipped's newest column.
Kevin grew up in New Jersey (instant bond, us Jersey kids...), and started going to clubs in the city when he was in high school. He quickly got a job working working with Steve Lewis at Red Zone...which of course turned into promoting parties, planning parties...you get the idea. Kevin was immediately embraced into the see-and-be-seen scene of NYC nightlife, and eventually made his way to Miami to continue to work in the booming nightclub and party business of South Beach. During this time, he worked with the best of the best...and met the cream of the crop (all culminating with a photo of him and Madonna...her arm slung around his shoulders like old friends).
Unfortunately along the way, Kevin not only developed amazing relationships and contacts (he currently maintains a 15,000-member mailing list), he also developed a drug and alcohol habit. Now clean for over three years and very forthcoming about his struggles, Kevin knew he had to change his life, but also had to figure out how to stay in the nightlife/party business while sober. His dedication to creating inspiring, beautiful events for everyone from Sony to Giorgio Armani was his muse, helping him to create his now-successful business, Kevin Crawford Inc. Back in NYC, where Kevin has worked with big-name venues like Lotus and his current biggest client, The Brier Group, he has also had the opportunity to take creative license with corporate clients who wanted the launch of a new product to be as fabulous as a fashion party, and even produced a (very well-received) short film as an intro to a designer's runway show.
What was meant to be a 45-minute tea service and some chatting turned into a 2-hour talk, with Kevin recounting stories that had us in tears (the good laughter tears...). All three of us chimed in about how fashion shows have lost their "production" value and designers need to let people like Kevin really bring the "show" back into "fashion show." We all miss what John Galliano does in Paris, with halograms, live animals, and fake snow! I also asked Kevin when he considers an event to be a success...was it when the client is happy? Or is it when he is happy? His answer was what I expected...that he is a perfectionist about anything he puts his name on, but is always satisfied when his client is happy. We comiserated about how there will always be a backstage glitch or a light show that doesn't work in entirety, but when you have a good turnout and the host has just as much fun as his guests, you've done a good job.
Kevin's creativity, drive and desire to produce new and exciting events made him such a pleasure to interview. From editor's lunches to full-scale, multi-tier launch parties...from a Sunday night party to a celebrity-hosted fashion show...Kevin (and Kevin Crawford Inc.) is key to the perfectly planned and promoted events. The fashion world is lucky to have people like Kevin, whose very nature leads him to succeed...and leads us to attend some very, very cool parties...
~ Alison
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