Power Ball, the annual fundraiser for The Power Plant, has become synonymous with bacchanalian sublimation. Bay Streeters don on-theme costumes and mingle with Hogtown’s boho set, who often use the event as an excuse to strut their most outlandish outfits.
Guests milled through the lower level of The Power Plant and enjoyed signature cocktails provided by sponsors such as Grand Marnier, Don Julio and Tanqueray. Last year, Marc Thuet pulled out all the stops: between the poutine bar and the spit-roasted bison, guests left feeling more than gluttonous. This year, food was so scarce that we overheard a suited business type plotting to ambush a waiter. Like bison to a watering hole, sequin-clad guests surrounded the bowls of sour candy in an attempt to offset the copious amounts of booze everyone was swilling.
Art installations by Zeesy Powers, Ryan Trecartin and Alexis O’Hara (among others) provided fodder for conversation, while a tin foil-covered hallway — inspired by Warhol’s Factory — made for a great photo backdrop as party girls mingled and Instagrammed.
Perhaps it was the rain, but unlike previous years, few guests engaged with the theme, “15 minutes,” which was inspired by an Andy Warhol quote: “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.” Off-the-rack knee-length floral print dresses and straight-from-work suits dominated the sartorial landscape.
We spotted Amanda Lew Kee, who decided to forgo the 15 minutes theme, but looked fantastic with a self-crafted headpiece of snapdragons. Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong (the duo behind Greta Constantine) showed up looking dapper in black, with gold accessories. Jeanne Beker, who’s had more than her 15 minutes, looked elegant in a structured ebony number. As the party roared into the night, a lady sporting an extreme play on minimalism joined the fray in an effort to raise the sartorial bar. Her outfit? Heels and only heels.
We’re going to chalk up the lack of costume enthusiasm to reality TV. When anyone can become famous for 15 minutes without any real star-appeal, the star bar is set fairly low. But as we learned from Toronto’s attempt at a Jersey Shore spin off, Hogtown doesn’t do reality TV very well (we don’t even have The Real Housewives).
Hopefully next year Toronto embraces the fantastical and really makes an effort at Power Ball.
