A few months back I got to spend two days from dusk till dawn with the Maison Options team and the Autret Paris catering team documenting their set up for a big event which was to be shown on French national television station TF1 at the beautiful Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte in Maincy, France.
Being someone who usually attends or photographs events, I have never actually had the privilege to see what efficiency, planning and precise care goes into the creation and preparation before such a grandiose occasion and what I was witness to was eye-opening.
From early mornings racing against the rising sun in black and white trucks packed with carefully sourced delicates, to swiftly unpacking and setting up all merchandise in a matter of minutes and perfecting table setting, making sure not one detail was out of place. The whole two days reminded me of a harmonious dance where every movement supported the outcome of the whole performance.
I was amazed to watch the evolution of the event creation from one day to the next and every time I thought it was finished, another details was finely added making it even more beautiful than before. One can truly say that there was an art to it all from start to finish. Not just in the design and visual aspect, but the teamwork and fluidity of the set up required real skill and precision.
What struck me was that throughout the whole two days, the relationship between the teams felt warm, supportive and natural as each played their part while occasionally humming 'Bella Ciao' over their instinctive movements, displaying a sort of collectively understood camaraderie.
As soon as the event was over, it was time to take everything apart and just as fast as the event appeared, it disappeared with the same swiftness and dance like motions as before, the destruction of art becoming an art in itself, until it was packed once again in the black and white trucks it all had come from. A full circle. I bit like the Options logo come to think of it...
Needless to say, at the next event I attend, I will be looking a lot more closely at the mise en scène before me with much more appreciation and awareness of what came before. :)
Apart from my documentation of the occasion, you can also see a brilliant bts video of it here!