The Art Basel Party Scene Swirls
Prada celebrated music and art Thursday while Hublot was all about football (er, soccer) at its event.
Prada brought its Prada Extends music project — a collection of global events that aims to “harness music’s power to unite” — to the Faena Forum on Miami Beach on Thursday night.
Art Basel had officially opened to the public earlier in the day, traffic heading down Collins Avenue was in a gridlock, and the city’s trendiest hotels were swarmed with party hopefuls. While many in the crowd at the Faena Forum had already been making the Art Basel party rounds since early in the week, Prada’s event introduced a fresh set of VIP faces.
Maya Hawke, Eiza González, Hailee Steinfeld, Damson Idris and Taylour Paige congregated in the roped-off VIP area, while the main event — DJ sets curated by Richie Hawtin — kicked off the late-night party on the other side of the room. Guests hoisted their phones to capture the “spectacle” of lights in a circular formation beaming from the ceiling while a conceptual video played behind the DJ deck.
“When I first started acting my first acting wage went on some Prada shoes,” said a cheery Idris. The British actor stars in the brand’s recent holiday campaign, but was donning a more casual Prada tank top for his Miami appearance. “To be here today, alongside the team of Prada — who I love — is a dream come true,” he added.
Earlier in the night, Hublot celebrated its official timekeeper status of the World Cup — and their “Hublot Loves Football” campaign — with a party at the W Hotel.
Guests including Devon Windsor, Kendrick Sampson, Quincy, Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill and pro golfer Dustin Johnson stopped by to take in the suite of 15 soccer balls reimagined by Mira Mikati in collaboration with Hublot’s football (for the American crowd, soccer) ambassadors. The party also featured a branded foosball table and cotton candy cart spinning sugar onto light-up sticks.
“Miami Art Basel is very important for us; for over 10 years we do a party every time, so this year is particular because you have the World Cup going on with football. We said, ‘Let’s talk about football through art,’” said Hublot chief executive officer Ricardo Guadalupe.
Asked who he was rooting for in the World Cup, Guadalupe hedged his bets.
“I am Swiss, so for Switzerland. But I’m Spanish origin, so for Spain as well,” he said. (The former team went on to qualify for the knockout stage on Friday after winning their final group match against Serbia. Spain will play Morocco in the first round.) “And maybe France,” Guadalupe added, “because our ambassador is a French player, Kylian Mbappé.”