A colorful shoot by photographer Joey Kennedy enlivens the already vibrant, soaring spaces inside Balvanera — a Strip District hub for delectable Argentinean fare. Alexis Allen, an accomplished local wedding and event planner, producer and designer, helped dream up the scene, inspired by hit reality show Love is Blind. The vision featured bright primary colors, beautifully curated dishes, and diners cheekily donning blindfolds, reminiscent of the streaming sensation that encourages connections beyond visual cues.
Balvanera Hosts Romantic Blind Tasting
Allen and team decided they wanted to include a diversity of people at a table filled with more than couples. Allen found the individuals on Instagram (none were professional models), which felt important in seeking a group who could naturally interact and enjoy a meal together.
Celebrating Both Friendship and Love
“We wanted a different approach to Valentine’s Day that wasn’t overly gender specific and more encompassing of friends celebrating versus romantic couples,” Allen says. “I wanted to also put a creative, artistic spin on it, which birthed the concept of infusing Bauhaus-inspired designs.”
Allen appreciated that the “industrial rawness” of Balvanera’s private event space offered incredible natural light, while allowing the tablescape design and beauty of the culinary offerings to shine as showstoppers. May Chester Design provided the dazzling florals, Lendable Linens the custom linens and Loree Mayer Design the branding and stationery that appear on the long dining table. Makeup artist Esfir Koles prepped models for the shoot, which was all about exploring senses aside from sight when it came to the culinary experience. (Each model was blindfolded during dinner.) “With all of the fragrant dishes and interesting textures,” Allen explains, “there is a playful and even touch of a sensual aspect of indulging without actually seeing the dish.”
Balvanera Pittsburgh unveiled its second home last November, the original being in New York City. Diners have quickly gravitated to this local outpost for the sleek venue’s grass-fed steaks imported from Pampas Argentina and served with fresh chimichurri and salsa criolla, plus house-made sausages, empanadas, Spanish Iberico ham and tasty veg offerings, too.
Of her creations for this set, Allen most enjoyed the unprecedented nature of color block florals to complement the bold hues and geometric patterns appearing on custom table linens, napkins and chargers. “With how ‘clean’ the space was, the layers upon layers of color and shapes created interesting dimension,” she reflects. “It had a playfulness that was also sexy.”
A City for Creatives
Allen, who’s worked in the events industry for nearly 15 years, collaborates with a wide range of clients on a variety of events, assisting with every aspect of the planning process from date and venue selection through to full execution of the event. “I am dedicated to exploring new concepts,” she says, “and creating the unimaginable is always merged with my commitment to providing my clients with a methodical, transparent and enjoyable planning experience.”
Pittsburgh is overflowing with creative talent, Allen believes; so many here crave stretching beyond their comfort zones. “We yearn to experiment with color, unusual shapes and collaborate, as that is when the most inspiration is developed,” she says “Particularly in the past 10 years, this city has evolved while not abandoning a lot of its historic architecture.”
Allen relishes design opportunities that pull in the old-world charm and/or industrial edge that Pittsburgh has always had to offer — intertwining it with contemporary art, clean lines and/or technology, for which the city’s now becoming famous.
Story by Corinne Whiting
Photography by Joey Kennedy
Venue by Balvanera
Flowers by May Chester Design
Linens by Lendable Linens
Menus by Loree Mayer Design
Makeup by Esfir Koles
Production by Alexis Allen
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