The last stop on our Florida Trend Lecture tour was Wilton Manors.  On our way from the West Coast to East Coast, we drove along Alligator Alley, where we encountered one of the local denizens up close and personal (of course, all I could think of was what a great table or accessories I could create from this guy).

From the moment we arrived, Wilton Manors was everything it promised to be and more. In addition to a variety of interesting restaurants, bars, and shops, the city is home to a substantial gay population.  It contains a large Pride Center, the World AIDS Museum and Educational Center, and a branch of the Stonewall National Museum & Archives, whose main facility is in neighboring Fort Lauderdale.

Island City Traders, Wilton Manors’ largest retailer, is located in the heart of the Art and Entertainment district.  They offer a carefully curated mix of contemporary and transitional designer furniture peppered with unique home decor items from around the globe.

Mitchell and Bill, the owners of Island City Traders, pulled out all the stops for a glamorous Martini Party.  Klieg lights sliced through the warm air as design notables from around the area came to raise a glass (or 2 or 3), have a nosh, and talk trends.

THE EVENT

Event Photos 1. Bill Philby, Barry, Mitchell Bloch; 2 Aaron Rochester, Barry, Stephanie Jenks; 3. Andre Rivera, Barry; 4. Aaron Tabor, Barry; 5. Keith Gordon, Rand Hock, Barry, Don; 6. Keith Gordon, Jorgeana Trachtenberg, Barry, Mitchell Bloch, Harry Trachtenberg Florida Sales Rep of Vanguard Furniture, 7. Barry talking trends, 8. Crowd at ICT.

9. Barry autographs his Selene Martini Table for raffle winning designer, Renee Miller of Elegant Concept Interiors; 10. Renee Miller, Barry, Nichole White

Island City Traders raffled off a Selene Martini Table from our new Vanguard collection. The winner was Renee Miller.  She was really excited and asked me to autograph her table. Here she is posing with her friend, who is also a local designer.

TREND HIGHLIGHT –  ENTERTAINING AT HOME
All of our research points to the fact that millennials are entertaining more at home. Whether it’s cooking for friends or showing off newly-minted bartending skills, research from several industries like food, liquor, and home goods all highlight a steady rise in this trend.

For Vanguard, I focused on this segment of the market by not only creating pieces that were good for entertaining, but also lightweight, flexible, multi-purpose items. The launch Goralnick collection consists of 14 martini or post tables.

Who’s Who  from the Red Carpet:

11. Robert Holt, Barry restaurant entrepreneur Chad Chow; 12. Mr. and Mrs. Barocas with Barry. 13. Gary Paikoff and Brina with Barry; 14. Christina Turner, Cindy Lotz, and Barry; 15. Michael Roe of Kroll Realty, Robert Fabian; 16. Mr. adn Mrs. Acosta; 17. Glen Mast and Alcott Czubeck; 18. Veronica Potenti, Barry, Stella Potenti, and Ruthie Ryan; 19. Scott Hass & Barry; 20. Russ Ruffini & Barry; 21. David Barcenos; 22, Glen Mast, Barry, Alcort Czubeck; 23 Emerson, Jarret, Adrian; 24. Will Goodman, Barry, Joe Latona & Gu; 25. Dorothy de Saulinier, Barry & Barbara; 26, Barry with Mr. and Mrs. Cohen. (photo credit: Mitchell Bloch)
The ICT Partywas an incredibly exciting finale event for our Trend Tour for Vanguard.

Next stop: Miami.