SANDS SHEBANG

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore; October 7

Prestige Hong Kong’s new sister magazine, Sands Style, was given a stylish welcome at a laid-back launch party in Singapore on October 7. Sands Style is the in-house publication of Marina Bay Sands, the sensational new resort that has changed not only the Lion City’s skyline but also its entertainment scene.

The chic Fuse lounge in Marina Bay Sands’ Hotel Atrium was decked out in blown-up pages of the magazine’s first issue, while video loops of the contents played on plasma screens around the venue.

The chilled sounds of the Louise Anton Trio entertained the 250 guests, who included a cross-section of socialites, executives, luxury-brand representatives and people from the media and hotel industries. Among the partygoers was Michael Ault, who knows a thing or two about throwing parties himself. The Florida nightclub entrepreneur will soon open an outpost of his famous Pangaea nightspot at the resort. Marina Bay Sands President and CEO Thomas Arasi also made an appearance.

Some of the guests congregated in the private rooms at the back of Fuse, while the main bar area was dominated by a Sands Style backdrop. All the guests – not just the most beautiful, rich and famous ones – were encouraged to pose in front of the backdrop for a photo that was instantly printed and set in a souvenir Sands Style frame.

Lucinda Semark, Marina Bay Sands’ senior vice-president for marketing, thanked the resort’s retailers, advertisers and partners for their support of Sands Style. She acknowledged CR Media as well as Marina Bay Sands Publication Manager Shazeen Moledina for producing a lifestyle and fashion quarterly with “world-class editorial and production values.” She also directed guests to the Sands Style website (marinabaysands.com), and urged them to watch for future Sands Style-branded events and parties.

Piper-Heidsieck champagne flowed, while canapés – including roasted Asian duck wrap with spring onions, millefeuille of beef pastrami and swiss cheese, wasabi scampi with strawberry salsa, and tartar of wild mushrooms with pepper boursin cream – provided further nutrition. Sonia Rykiel sponsored the men’s and women’s scents placed inside the goody bags that were grabbed by the satisfied guests on their way home.