"For me, it's the opposite of a large production," says the man who's orchestrated everything from the Met's Costume Institute gala to the Plaza Hotel's coming Grand Reopening Celebration and other intimate soirees.
This intimate Friday-night soiree, where spinach dip and crudités were served and Ms. Cottam sent guests home with homemade banana muffins for their families, was for no particular occasion.
"I was always aware that I was not invited to many of the intimate breakfasts and soirees where people ladled out 'deep background' to social equals," he says, describing a problem that clearly never plagued Mr. Hewitt.
Over the past five years, they've created pop-up parties ranging from intimate, 100-person soirees, to 1,500-person 1,500-persons, with the help of over 100 different musical and visual artists.
You might want to put off that intimate New Year's Eve soiree until next year.
Sure, there are plenty of intimate and extensive Champagne soirees, but most of the marquee events in town represent an ongoing trend..
For a "girls only" soiree, plan an intimate daytime picnic in the park (mimosas, anyone?) or host a sewing class in the comfort of your own home.
They also organise meetings, from a recent 10,000 person smoke-out in Hyde Park to more intimate evenings such as tonight's soiree, allowing pensioners, students, bricklayers and bankers to talk about one of their favourite hobbies.
While grandiose book bashes have gained ground, the author and Times writer admits that some of the most successful soirees are the most intimate.
