Guess who’s coming to dinner…..The Robbe & Berking event at William Ashley

You may or may not remember a blog post I wrote a while back about the fantastic window displays at William Ashley on Bloor Street.  I had always wondered who was responsible for them and I had a comment show up recently that answered that question.  It was from the designer herself!  That email exchange lead to me asking (of course) if I could speak to her more about her windows, her design, etc.

That leads me to a very special invitation to attend an event at William and Ashley.  The event not only showcased Robbe & Berking, there were also ‘crowns’ on display. That’s right, I said crowns.  Royal. Crowns.   It was beyond beautiful so let’s get right to the photos.

One thing I would like to point out-I did my own hair and makeup for this event! This is the first time I have actually attempted on my own.  I still have some kinks to work out-on the technique side of things, but not too bad:

managed to replicate the day to night look that Kerri taught me-complete with smirk on face!

First, the lovely Michelle-woman behind the windows

L-R myself & Michelle-did you know she has worked with W&A for 7 years? Wowza!

She was quite busy with the event itself so I didn’t get to speak with her as much as I would’ve liked too but was happy to have her pose with me for a photo!

There were so many crowns to look at-and not enough time to look at them all!  Next to each crown was a description of where it was from, who wore it and other interesting facts. I am going to attempt to post the crowns with their correct titles. They were so beautiful to look at:

Beautiful place settings

And now let’s take a peek at the crowns:

some other things I was fawning over:

When the cup is full you see a picture, when it's empty the photo disappears. How cool is that?

But I think one of my favorite parts of the evening was when Herr Ackerman gave a brief talk about the History of Robbe & Berking, and his ‘must have’ pieces.  I learned about design and metals and how I absolutely need a special utensil for lamb.

After his talk, I asked if I could get a photo with him.  Well, Mr. Ackerman not only granted my wish, he also let me hold one of the crowns in the photo!  I was shaking when holding it but luckily the picture is clear:

OH beauty.  Look at my face…that should say it all.

To top it all off, there was a ton of beautiful china and flatware-I would expect nothing less of William Ashley.  There was champagne, wine, tasty hors d’oeuvres and staff on hand to discuss the pieces.  What a wonderful evening!

We also had the opportunity to have our photos taken in crowns.  So of course I chose the most “queen-like”

Real jewels on my head! Suits me well...

And then surprise, surprise….I go to the coat check to pick up my wrap, and I get handed this:

Whoah….definitely didn’t expect this!  Wowza!

Contents: literature, info about William Ashley/Robbe & Berking

Chocolates! Teuscher and then some Robbe& Berking chocolate from Germany

Restaurant Guide-but not what you think! This guide lists restaurants where Robbe & Berkin products are used (it's world-wide)

Hello magazine

The most beautiful catalogue I have ever seen from Robbe & Berking

frame in which to place the 'crowning moment' photo

And here we are:

Crowning moment!

I had the best time at this event!  It was wonderfully organized, I learned a lot and got to wear (and hold) a crown or two!

Another thing that really struck me is how interested I was in William Ashley.  I have walked by the store hundreds of times and have never stopped in.  They are making changes in the store and they are noticeable.  The addition of Robbie & Berking with their classical modern twist on silver really caught my eye!  I know I will be back in the store again soon!

I am so thankful to the staff at William Ashley and everyone (Michelle!) who put all the effort into making the Robbe & Berking event a success! It really was flawless and so classy!  It was nice to feel like a queen!

Have you ever gone to an event like this?  Are you interested in fine china and silver?  What would attract you?