South Beach

Mansion's One Year Anniversary

ach weekend in Miami Beach brings another reason to party—whether it's the opening of a new club, a new clothing line, or simply the arrival of an A-List celebrity. And this past weekend was no exception when the invitations began arriving, as Miami Beach's largest club was having its One Year Anniversary Party. The invitation to Mansion declared the hostess to be June Playboy cover model Bai Ling, with a performance by Carmen Electra’s Bombshells. White attire was suggested, giving people in South Beach another excuse to head for the shops on Lincoln Road.

Eric Milon, Bai Ling and Michael Capponi at Mansion's One Year Anniversary Party

By 11PM on Saturday night the line waiting to get into Mansion stretched halfway down the block in both directions. The crowds were intense, the lines were long, and everyone wanted in.

“It looks like a Paris Hilton Convention here” was heard above the crowd, as the beautiful people skipped past the line, greeted by a sizzling doorman. As always in South Beach, if you looked hot enough, being on the guest list wasn't necessary—the ropes simply parted as you stepped out of your Hummer Limo and you could float right in.

And what a scene it was inside the club. The party was thrown by Michael Capponi, renowned Miami promoter-turned-real-estate-mogul. Capponi’s weekly parties Saturday at Mansion, Friday at Privé, Thursday at Hotel Victor and Wednesday at B.E.D. are revered by locals and Miami Beach visitors alike. Capponi's parties consistently bring in such celebs as Jay-Z, P-Diddy, Shaq and more.

Located at 1235 Washington Avenue, in the former Level location, Mansion has actually been open for more than a year, but in typical Miami Beach style, the party was a few months late, but well worth the wait.

Upon entering the giant club, which is a renovated Art Deco theater, patrons were greeted with scantily clad chicas handing out a tasty Champagne and Red Bull mix, the right concoction to get the party going. The hip-hop room straight ahead was already filling up with people moving and grooving, while the main room was just getting started. It takes some time to fill up a club of such massive proportions.

The stage was covered in a mammoth white bed, with unicorns prancing around and on the fluffy mattress. The unicorns were joined by party hostess Bai Ling, wearing pink lamé and matching pink wig. From the ceiling hung enormous chandeliers made of lilies and white feathers, with a few black ones thrown in for good measure. Massive nets of white and silver balloons were hung high above the growing crowd, as were girls and boys swinging on trapezes. Dancers dressed in white and gold were scattered above the crowd on their usual perches on the giant speakers surrounding the large VIP area in the middle of the club.

A large percentage of people had actually complied with the “White Attire” request made in the invitation, and the effect was impressive. From the second floor balcony, the dance floor looked quite impressive. At about 2:30AM, Michael Capponi himself came on the microphone and thanked everyone for helping to make Mansion a success over the past year, and introduced the Bombshells—minus Carmen Electra. Three girls came out on stage and danced around with their hand-held fans made out of feathers. The music then kicked up, the dancers picked up the pace, and balloons were released from the ceiling in what was the climax of the night. The intensity of the moment lasted almost a full hour, with everyone in the club—hip-hop room included—working themselves into a frenzy. Some of the girls got so sweaty their white attire became see-thru, much to the pleasure of the men.

If Saturday's party was any indication of things to come, Mansion appears to be headed for another year of success, with a calendar full of celeb-hosted parties and live performances.