The Cacique Touch | The Art of Tablescaping
“Everything you can imagine is real.”
When I was growing up, my mother always encouraged me to dream. She used to say “the mind is a blank canvas, and when you dream, you fill it with possibilities.” So, I did dream, and I realized that art is everywhere. There is art in the curve of a chair, in the drape of a curtain, the glimmer of silver spoon and the shimmer of a lamp. Spaces became my canvas.
At Cacique, we approach every event like a blank canvas. We imagine, we sketch, we take out our paints and decide on a palette. Tablescaping is one key component of that palette, so we approach it with care. For some, a couple of flickering candles and a floral centerpiece may do the job, but we are designers, not decorators. Just as a great painting finds its true value when placed correctly in a space, a well-laid table comes to life when it is part of a well-crafted experience.
The author, honing his craft.
Vogue
“As a designer, you’ve always got to push yourself forward; you’ve always got to keep up with the trends or make your own trends. That’s what I do.”
I’ve always admired the trend-setters - how the McQueens and Wildes of history knew exactly how to push the boundaries. In the world of fashion, there are showcases throughout the year to make sure the public knows what’s hot and what’s not. These showcases are the Met Galas, the red carpets, and the award shows.
Tablescaping, like fashion goes through trends. The key is to stay on top. Images from “Savage Beauty,” a retrospective of Alexander McQueen’s astonishing and provocative work, at the Costume Institute, New York.
Tablescaping is a lot like fashion. There are changing trends and all sorts of buzz accompanying those trends. But the secret isn’t always to chase trends. We favour a wiser approach - to make sure our clients are comfortable first. It doesn’t matter how hot the model is, if the outfit is a bad fit. At Cacique, we make sure every client is fitted for the right outfit. All you have to do is sit back, relax and trust your personal tailor.
Balance
“All art is quite useless.”
In the preface to his 1891 gothic masterwork The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde shocked the world by suggesting that art is quite useless. What he meant, of course, is that “true art” is a thing of beauty and should have no practical value whatsoever. When it comes to tablescaping, I would have to disagree with Mr. Wilde, as a well-dressed table is as useful as it is alluring. That's the tightrope act - finding the balance between form and function, beauty and practicality. Is an ornate centerpiece still "beautiful" when it obstructs the view of the charming dinner guest opposite? Is a flickering candle still romantic if it burns so low that it sets fire to the tablecloth? Is the silver spoon still cute, if it drips soup down ones' chin?
Nature
From the sweet nectar of the hibiscus to the majesty of the royal poinciana, our islands are teeming with lush, natural wonder. No tablescape would be complete without capturing some of this god-given artistry.
As we covered in our 5 Secrets of Floral Design post, Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging. Ikebana teaches us that each flower, each stem, each blade of grass in an arrangement serves a purpose. Great floral design is about more than sticking flowers in vases - it is about the arrangement of distinct floral elements to create a beautiful new form. These elements may be commonly overlooked - withered leaves, seed pods, drift wood and buds can be just as important as flowers in full bloom.
Theatre
Event design is like theatre, and great theatre takes a great team. Every role is vital to the whole - from the set designers, to the make-up artists, to the actors. For the performance to go smoothly, you need a director who can zoom in and zoom out at a moment’s notice. At Cacique, that’s what we do: we see the big picture.
Tablescaping does not exist in a vacuum - it is a critical element in the entire event experience, so it must fit seamlessly with the narrative. Like sweet rum sauce on Guava duff, the table setting is the perfect compliment. You will know that the table is perfectly “scaped” when you feel like you are sitting in a living canvas, and the soup spoon is exactly where you expect it. ;) SMS
To find out more about Cacique Table-scaping, or how we can use our Cacique magic to bring your event to life, contact us here.