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Party Planner, East Side Style

How excited are we for all things Asian after the launch of our fabulous new line of Asian-inspired dresses, The Silk Road?


I said, how excited are we?!?!


I know you are already brainstorming occasions to break out your fancy new frocks (order now and you'll get free shipping!), and here is another option to put on the table. What about an Asian-themed party? An Asian-themed party where you can wear your new Asian-inspired dress!


Genius. Indeed.


To pull it off with class and style, here are some tips from one Jen Fernie. Jen has been a planner ever since she can remember. Dinner parties, birthday parties and everything in between. She has a passion for bringing people together to celebrate the special moments in life. Her creativity and attention to detail are evident in every event she plans from the grandest of affairs to intimate celebrations. She has planned events for both non-profit organizations, corporations and private parties.


And I happen to know she is one cool cat. Read on for her tips on hosting a magical gathering of your own!


I love theme parties. My favorite part is planning all the details: picking out décor, planning the menu, inviting guests, and most importantly choosing my attire for the evening. With Shabby Apple’s Silk Road line coming out, it’s the perfect time to plan an Asian themed party.

There are many Chinese festivals throughout the year to celebrate or you could use the Asian theme for a birthday party or plan a party just because it’s a great time to get together and dress up!

For décor, I love Chinese paper lanterns. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and look great either hung from the ceiling or strung across the room with lights. They instantly create a party mood and are so easy to assemble. I usually hang them with clear fishing line or if I have more time, I’ll tie them with ribbons in my favorite colors and let the ribbons fall down the side. The last time I threw a party, I ended up leaving them up for a few days as I wasn’t ready to take them down yet!













For table décor and centerpieces, cherry blossom branches would be my first choice for flowers. They are so delicate and the branches look great in a tall vase. I would choose a clear or solid colored vase as you don’t want to detract from the beauty of the flowers.





If you have more space on your table or have multiple tables, I love Chinese birdcages and lanterns. After your Asian party you could easily use them year round for lanterns at an outdoor soiree or as décor in your home.







My favorite Asian themed store in New York City for all these décor items and more is Pearl River in Soho (they have an online store as well for those not in NYC). They literally have everything you’ll need and nothing there will break your budget!

If my budget allows, I love to leave my guests with a little something to take home and for this party, it would be fun to buy fans, or parasols or a fun graphic tin of Chinese tea.








Another option for centerpieces if Cherry Blossoms aren’t in season is filling the Chinese tea tins with simple flowers from the grocery store.





For the menu, there are a myriad of options! If you have unlimited time and want to spend a day in the kitchen, you could put together an entire menu of your favorite Chinese dishes but like many of us without hours of free time to spare, you could opt for takeout and serve right out of the standard paper to go boxes or serve in porcelain bowls with wooden chopsticks. Some of my favorite dishes are spring rolls, potstickers, orange chicken, teriyaki and fried rice…delicious!






For dessert (because every party needs a sweet treat), you could make your favorite cupcake recipe and decorate with mini parasols.





Or order Fancy Fortune cookies, in custom flavors with custom message or try making your own and write personal messages to guests in your own handwriting.





Whatever color scheme you decide, light spring pinks or falls deeper hues of reds and blues, you’ll find plenty of décor options for an Asian theme. I like to plan as far in advance as I can so I’m not rushing around at the last minute trying to pull everything together. That way, the day of all you need to do is pull everything together. Just make sure to give yourself time to get ready. You’ve put a lot of work into throwing an amazing party and you should get time to enjoy it along with your guests!

Happy party planning!



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