( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) House of Slay & DIAGEO Team Up for The Day Night Mrkt in New York City
Photo Credit: Getty
The weekend of May 20th in NYC on the anniversary of the Hate Crimes Act being signed into law by President Joe Biden, DIAGEO partnered with House of Slay to co-curate and bring a one-day-only, interactive, pop-up day/night market in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month. The Diageo Day Night Mrkt Presented by House of Slay brought together over 1500+ people to celebrate the rich Asian culture across the diaspora in a safe and inclusive space while enjoying delicious cocktails created by Filipino mixologist Destinee Almonte and co-curated experiences by House of Slay founders Phillip Lim, creative director Laura Kim, socialite Tina Leung, and Ezra J. William, collectively known as the “Slaysians.
We were invited to the media preview of this creative and cause-worthy event. It was great to see the booths of designers, diverse options of cultural food, and fantastic drink combinations. It was an overall good vibe and experience for attendees. What stood out the most was the information available and engagement with brands. Mixologists would explain the origin of mixtures, designers would explain the passion behind the brand and how they want their customers to feel, and details of light bites amazed guests because of their flavors.
The partnership, a love letter to the AAPI community, brought the best of art, fashion, food, and music, with a live set by DJ Mei Kwok and activations like:
- The Good Times Karaoke Bar By Smirnoff Pink Lemonade: Unifying forces across the Asian Diaspora, guests had a chance to sing along while honoring the role music plays in bringing people together, spreading love, joy & fun.
- Damn Fancy Everyday Pop-Up by Tanqueray: guests shopped AAPI-owned brand designers ChrisHabana, House of Slay, Private Policy, and Susanna Chow, which created exclusive pieces for the event.
- First Strides Food Hall By Johnnie Walker: Guests were transported to Asia as they enjoyed a selection of AAPI-inspired dishes and cocktails from different cultures across the Asian diaspora while paying homage to the trailblazers in the community with dishes from Fish Cheeks, Nami Nori, and Saigon Social
- For The Love Art Exhibition By Tequila Don Julio: Honored a creative devoted to flipping conversations from hate to love through a one-of-a-kind art installation featuring Andrew Kung photo series re-contextualizes traditional notions of masculinity and belonging.
Besides the Slaysians, notable guests included Filipino musician P Lo, Indian influencers Jikaria Sisters, Congolese artist Young Paris, Fashion designer Sammy B, Comedian Rayyy Rayyy, and more joined to experience the first-of-its-kind pop-up shop as a love letter to the AAPI community.
Check out our quick video recap here.
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