Entertaining Maestro, Colin Cowie, Creates Fete Of The Year
To Open Royal Towers In Paradise Island, Bahamas
Five Simultaneous, Star-Studded Parties Draw 2500 Luminaries Worldwide
Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, James Ingram, Grace Jones To Perform

December 1, 1998, Paradise Island, Bahamas - Colin Cowie, best known for the weddings he designed for Don Henley, Lisa Kudrow, Paula Abdul and Kenny G; his books; signature line of china for Lenox and now his Romance Classics weekly TV show will showcase his most spectacular event yet for the opening of the Royal Towers in Paradise Island, Bahamas this weekend. Over 2500 guests will be bathed in exotic lighting schemes and will pulsate to harmony provided by Patti Austin, James Ingram, KC & The Sunshine Band, Ozomalti, Bebe Winans and a 350 person gospel choir, Tito Puente and Quincy Jones. Over 100 costumed Atlantean warriors will perform while guests' palates are titillated with gastronomic delicacies. Overhead, the hotel will be crowned by a stellar splash of pyrotechnics. An adorned Grace Jones will swoop 17 stories down to the Royal Baths where synchronized swimmers dance in aqua and blue lit waters and she signals the beginning of the festivities. The Atlantean themed fete begins this Friday evening and will run through the weekend and has attracted RSVPs from a group of A list film, music and TV celebrities.

Planning began in June when Cowie was contracted by fellow South African hotelier, Sol Kerzner to create a distinct launch for his new 5-star hotel. "We created an event where we move 2500 people from one area to another," says

the elegant accented Cowie, "we utilized intricate costuming, lighting, décor, entertainment and foods from around the world It's been billed as the 'event of the year' based on the magnitude and minute custom detail that is our forte."

A few unusual details and statistics about the event are as follows:

• A total of 1000 pounds of shells were used;
• More than 10,000 flowers and fruits were imported from Hawaii, Thailand and South America;
• 500 yards of hand-painted Balinese batik fabric was made and 600 yards of specially weaved fabric was ordered from the Bahamian island of Androsia;
• 8000 pieces of shrimp, 3000 crab claws, 3000 Maine lobsters, 15,000 clams were ordered;
• Seventeen forty foot containers were utilized to ship the total needs for the event; two sixty foot semi-trucks housed the décor alone.
• Over 6000 watts of projected lights spill Atlantean images onto the hotel towers that reach 24 stories tall;
• 1/2 mile of string lights are swagged throughout the palm trees;
• Twelve miles of cable were used which pull 72,000 amps - equal to three baseball stadiums worth of power;

Some of the party looks include:

• A cool lit indigo and gold cocktail reception with caviar and frozen vodka bars, champagne fruit shots and live, extravagant walking sculptured food displays;
• An ethereal ambient Brazilian BBQ and international red wine bar featuring spit-fired suckling pigs, whole lamb and cornish game hens. Guests are adorned with jeweled third eyes and bathed in gold, orange, red and amber light;
• A tikki torch lit beach party awash in orange, yellow and white light showcases fire-eaters and limbo dancers moving through lobster buffets on braided palm leaves. Fresh passed gardenias waft toward a tequila bar with mouthwatering mango and orange-ritas;
• A romantic late evening dessert, coffee, cognac and cigar gathering will feature rattan furniture under mosquito netted cabanas, underlit in fire red. Chocolate and peach marshmallow fondues, cherries jubilee and bananas foster will be prepared at tables set with hundreds of candles and sea shell details;
• A chic and trendy after-party will be held in the Bridge Suite perched 17 stories high between the two towers. An all-star jam featuring a surprise top name musical artist will fill the 5000 square foot suite and 800 square foot balcony with 12-foot ceilings, a baby grand piano and iron and 22-carat gold chandelier.

Colin Cowie Lifestyle, with offices in New York and Los Angeles is the premier event planning and design company associated with fine and gracious living. The organization designs clothing, homes, furnishings and entire lifestyles. Colin is a contributing editor for InStyle, Eating Well, and Honeymoon magazines. He authored Effortless Elegance with Colin Cowie (HarperStyle) and Colin Cowie Weddings (Little Brown). As spokesperson for Lenox China, Colin has designed a signature collection of fine china, crystal and silverware for the company. Colin Cowie Lifestyle has planned some of the most highly publicized parties and weddings of the decade including the marriages of Lisa Kudrow, Paula Abdul, Kenny G., Sela Ward, Don Henley, Hugh Hefner and many others. Currently, Colin appears weekly on AMC's Romance Classics as the star of "Everyday Elegance with Colin Cowie."
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