Harper’s BAZAAR ICONS Featuring Christina Aguilera

September 2018. New York City, The Plaza

Every Fall, Hearst publication Harper’s BAZAAR and Fashion Director Carine Roitfeld release the September ICONS issue and host a star-studded, exclusive mega-party that serves as the unofficial kickoff to New York Fashion Week. Attended by the who’s-who of the fashion, beauty and luxury worlds, the must-attend ICONS event hosts over 1000 celebrities and VIP guests and literally takes over all of the spaces of New York’s storied Plaza Hotel.

This year celebrated Carine's fifth ICONS portfolio, which appears in the September issues of all 32 editions of Harper’s BAZAAR worldwide. ‘The First Families of Music’ portfolio, photographed by Mario Sorrenti, features music royalty and their offsprings including Kanye, North & Saint West, Bruce & Jessica Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Lionel & Nicole Richie, Erykah Badu, Theodora & Alexandra Richards, Steven & Liv Tyler, Mariah Carey, Billy & Bonnie Idol, and Paris Jackson.

The entire event experience was designed based on Roitfeld’s art direction to create a decadent but opulent, rock dynasty downtown chic look. Red florals and sexy black furniture accents were mixed with disruptive, rock-inspired elements like smashed mirrors, lipstick graffiti covered mirrors and overflowing champagne buckets. ICONS began with a grand VIP entrance before thousands of onlookers and flashing paparazzi cameras on Fifth Avenue, continued into a multi-floor red carpet and photo gallery of the September editorial, and then into the elegant Plaza Grand Ballroom where guests lounged on ottomans, sipped champagne, and danced to a special headline performance by Icon Christina Aguilera.

Among the many celebrity and VIP attendees were Carine Roitfeld, Christina Aguilera, Adriana Lima, Alexander Wang, Ashlee Simpson, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Caitlyn Jenner, Coco Rocha, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Christie Brinkley, David Copperfield, Devon Windsor, DJ Cassidy, Heidi Klum, Justin Theroux, Kaia Gerber, Karlie Kloss, Kendall Jenner, Kelly Rowland, Mila Jovovich, Nicki Minaj, Paris Hilton, Paris Jackson, Presley Gerber, Rachel Zoe, Tiffany Haddish, Victor Cruz, Victoria Justice, Winnie Harlow, and 21 Savage.

The ICONS event featured interactive activations by eight different partners starting with a red Genesis G70 photo arrival tableau parked in front of The Plaza. Blacked-out revolving doors turned to reveal an elaborate dark red floral structure in the lobby foyer and a gold & silver confetti Instagram wall.

The star-studded red carpet ended with an award-winning FIT x Infor design collaboration and led into a sculptural installation of spinning gold lipstick columns. Other activations included a Fujifilm Instax camera wall, a spinning boudoir photo moment, a Saks Fifth Avenue projected music video stage, Stella Artois rock & roll-inspired bars, a Moët & Chandon bar backed with an amazing champagne tower, a Saks Fifth Avenue Limitless Client Lounge, and two Belvedere Vodka bars with guitar ice sculptures and customized cocktails.

Empire served as overall producer of the evening and was responsible for event design, talent management, staging and technical production, venue and catering logistics coordination, stage management, staffing, front of house logistics and all Partner activations.

As one of the fashion’s most influential events, BAZAAR ICONS garnered unrivaled press attention with over 12.2 billion impressions. ICONS was featured worldwide by top broadcast, newspapers, magazines, social media platforms and every major website. Check out #BazaarICONS

Empire was proud to work closely with the Harper’s BAZAAR ICONS team to deliver a flawless and extraordinary evening.