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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.
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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. |
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