Gucci gives clients the VIP treatment at the Grand Opening in Nordstrom

June 24, 2021

Gucci treated its luxury clients to something special to celebrate the grand opening of their beautiful new beauty counter inside Nordstrom at the Garden State Plaza Mall. During the 3 day event, which took place May 6th, 7th, and 8th, clients met with the team of talented Gucci beauty consultants and enjoyed the VIP treatment. After their consultations they were turned into fashion illustrations on the spot by Fashion Illustrator Deanna Kei.

As each client sat for their illustration they gushed about their Gucci beauty purchases and shared their love for the brand. There was a strong sense of connection to the label and many specially requested to be drawn with Gucci accessories.

The event took place on Mother’s Day weekend and many of the clients were shopping for gifts. There were a lot of special requests for family portraits to top off their Gucci gifts. Deanna worked with reference photos that the clients showed on their phones to create their custom sketches.

The in store event was an exciting and thoughtful way to show appreciation to the customers, and everyone who came out left with a smile and a bag full of their newly purchased Gucci goodies! *To schedule a consultation with the Gucci Beauty Team at Nordstrom in the Garden State Plaza mall please reach out to Annie. (201-788-5808).

Below are some scenes from the May 2021 Gucci Beauty Event.

*Illustrator Deanna Kei will be joining Gucci again for their upcoming grand opening in the beauty department inside the Nordstrom on 57th Street, New York City. August 4th, 5th, and 6th. Schedule a consultation at the NY store to join in on the fun!

Fashion Illustrator Deanna Kei, sketching Gucci clients during the event inside Nordstrom.

A Gucci client holding a sketch of her with her mother.

The Gucci Beauty Counter at Nordstrom, Garden State Mall - Photo by @AnnieChick_

8 Reasons you should book a live Illustrator for your next event!

April 16, 2021

Event illustrators are becoming more and more popular in the US and it’s no surprise! They add an element of excitement to any event: public, corporate, or even private!

A live event illustrator is an artist who creates stylized sketches of guests at an event. Each sketch is drawn in just a few minutes, and comes together right before the guest’s eyes. Attendees have fun watching as the artist brings them and their friends to life on paper.

Live artists are perfect for Brand activations, Experiential marketing events, Product launches, Grand openings, Corporate parties, Employee appreciation events, Weddings, Sweet 16’s, Bridal showers and more. *Live Illustrators can elevate virtual events too!

Here are 8 ways booking a live illustrator will take your event to the next level!

1. Your audience will be entertained.

Guest Illustration by Deanna Kei, Tommy x Zendaya Event

This is especially perfect for events where there will be down time. Guests will enjoy being drawn with their friends and will have fun watching themselves be turned into art. There’s always a crowd of spectators around the illustrator’s table.

2. Its an ice breaker.

Guests will have fun showing each other their sketches and striking up conversations!

3. It will give your guests the VIP treatment.

Your guests will feel like a star as they pose for their sketch and are turned into a unique work of art. They can even be drawn onto the red carpet or a custom background you’ve chosen specifically for your event.

4. Your guests will feel connected to your brand or event.

Sketches can be branded with your logo and date. You can even opt to have the illustrations showcase your new product. *For fashion collection launches, consider having guests drawn wearing an item from your new line that they choose! ~ Or at grand openings opt to have your guests drawn with their purchases.

5. Guests will receive their sketch as a take home gift.

Guest Illustration by Deanna Kei, Marriott Bonvoy Event

The illustrations double as entertainment and a party favor that they can frame to remember the event. While other marketing materials from your event may be tossed, this is one your guests will cherish.

6. It will set your event apart.

Having live art will really enhance your guest’s experience. Live artists are a unique and interactive addition to any event.

7. A live virtual artist is the perfect compliment to a virtual event.

Guest Illustration by Deanna Kei, Pearl Fisher Virtual Event

Your guests can enjoy chatting with each other while watching as the artist silently sketches them in a side window.

8. You’ll surprise your guests.

Hiring a hidden illustrator for your virtual event gives your attendees an fun surprise when the artist reveals portraits of them at the end of the chat!

Deanna Kei is a New York based live event illustrator who turns guests into fun fashion illustrations, highlighting each of their personal styles. She’s available to book for both live and virtual events and is available for travel.

Deanna has illustrated for Fashion Week Events, Product launches, PR Events, Conventions, Corporate Parties, and Private parties.

View her list of clients here.

View her Live event illustration portfolio here.

Contact deannakei@gmail.com for inquiries, booking, and travel requests.

NYFW: What its really like 5 minutes before show time..

January 13, 2020

NYFW: The True Backstage Experience

Deanna Kei ~ NYFW Runway & Front Row Illustration

An elaborately dressed crowd blocks the entrance, hoping to catch the eye of the stand by photographers. They’re kept at bay by a few suited men, acting as security. Here and there, people dressed in all black have their name’s checked off and pass through the doors. The models, managers, hair and make up teams are already inside and have begun preparing. The side of the room is already lined with racks of garment bags and shoe boxes. The new entries dressed in black are sent back and forth between people with clipboards until they find their assigned place among the racks. Some of the models are already sitting beside them. Others are still in Hair & Makeup. The ones that are finished scroll through their phones or chat casually with friends they recognize from other shows. There’s a bit of chaos in the room, but also an excited nervous energy. So much has been prepared beforehand but so many things must be saved for last minute to ensure perfection.

The people dressed in black are part of the Dressing team. They’re the ones who’ll help the models change outfits fast during the show, and will be ready to stitch up a zipper or two if there’s a last minute mishap. They’re usually volunteers and are fashion students or fashion lovers who want to help out and be a part of the excitement. They’re not there for the glory, dressed in a mandated all black dress code—(no accessories allowed!)—and they’re not there for recognition: taking photos or Insta stories is prohibited. They do get to see the collection up close and touch some of the pieces before the rest of the world sees them come down the runway.

Dressing is definitely a one of a kind experience and working each show is completely different. ‘Dressing’ at a runway show is a little more complicated than dressing yourself at home. Each ‘Look’ for the show is given is number. The looks include not only the clothing, but the accessories, hair, makeup, shoes, and any other props that have been confirmed in advance. All of the pieces are kept together on hangers and in garment bags. They’re grouped together on rolling racks and marked by a giant card/poster listing the Look # (which is the order it will go down the runway) and the model’s full name. There’s also a photo of the model dressed in the entire look. This part is key! The dressers are seeing this look for the very first time so they’ll rely solely on the photo to figure out how to put it on. Sometimes its simple, but usually its not. Many times there is an head piece that wraps around, or a certain button that’s meant to be skipped, or a draped piece that looks like a rectangle on a hanger but must transform magically on the model.

—But the most difficult aspect of all is the time limit! You might think “Why don’t they just get dressed in advance?” but to keep everything, pristine, clean and perfectly pressed, the models aren’t allowed to begin dressing until moments before they go out. Then, all at once, chaos ensues! It’s not uncommon to see a dresser running along side their model and still dressing her as she takes her place in line for the stage. Yes, the first go around is pretty intense but its when the model has a second or third look that things get really crazy. After the model returns from her first walk, there are only minutes to get her out of that outfit and into the next so she can run back out. It’s quite the time challenge.

In the past, as a design student I’ve dressed for Creatures of Comfort, Farah Angsana, and Zadig Et Voltaire and each back stage experience was extremely unique from the others. At one of the shows, all of the teams were allowed to walk around the site freely and enjoy the hors d'oeuvres. The model I was working with preferred to dress herself and I really only had to help her get into her shoes and then make sure everything was on correctly and matched her card.

Another show was at Chelsea Piers. There were multiple shows going on inside the venue. It was amazing inside and there were a lot of random photo ops, like a giant armchair on a platform, and a flower wall. At this particular show the backstage organization was terrible. For this show my model had 1 mid-show outfit change. The second look racks were wedged in a tight corridor beside the runway entrance. The first look went fine, but there were only seconds to completely change the models for their second walk. The back stage space was so tight for 20 models and their dressers, and there was a lot of tripping and accidental elbowing. It was chaotic to say the least!

The third show I worked on was much more organized and there was so much space! I was assigned two models but they only had one outfit each. I helped them both simultaneously and they lined up and went out without a hitch. After the final walk, I helped them change back, packed up the look in the garment bags and that was a wrap! —but the most unique part here was what happened to me even before the show dressing!

One of the models was missing for the pre-show rehearsal. (The last minute pre-show rehearsal is when they line all the models up in numerical order and everyone does their full catwalk to the music to test that everything is ready for the show.) Some one grabbed me by chance and told me to line up as model #26 since she was still stuck in Hair & Makeup. I was praying for #26 to turn up before the line moved but unfortunately she did not. I was a least a foot shorter than the rest of the line and they had all just come from Hair & Makeup and were glowing. I felt really out of place. However, seeing the actual NYFW runway from the models point of view was such a unique and memorable experience that it was worth all the awkwardness! The show hadn’t started but some of the audience had already been seated. I walked out in the line up, to the music and the lights—to a partially filled room— and as much as it was embarrassing, it was actually pretty fun!

NYFW always brings an amazing energy to the city and there’s nothing else like it! While the runway shows are fun, my new favorite events are the Pop Up Shops and Design Installations that many designers are opting to reveal their collections during. I especially love Illustrating at them!

Are you looking forward to any shows this season?

The Fall/Winter 20 Women’s RTW shows kick off on February 7th and run until February 12th. You can check out the official CFDA calendar here.

*Snag this fun Fashion Week notebook here to keep track of all your inspiration and trend notes!

Do you have a fashion week story? Share yours in the comments below or drop a link to your post!

Deanna Kei is a NY based Fashion and Beauty Illustrator. She works with brands to create unique and engaging content featuring their products and collections. To commission illustrations for your brand please write to deannakei@gmail.com