Designer Sarah Halpin brings Anni Lu’s latest collection to life with an intimate 'dinatoire'

For over 10 years, Danish designer Helle Vestergaard Poulsen has been pushing boundaries with her jewellery brand Anni Lu. Season after season, Poulsen’s playful and delicate pieces effectively transport the wearer to farflung places – and this time, it’s the laid-back ease and elegance of the 1970s ‘golden era’.

It’s that vintage-tinged easy elegance of the latest autumn/winter ‘24 collection, dubbed Club Mirage, that surface designer Sarah Halpin evoked last night in London for Anni Lu, hosting and curating an intimate dinatoire in honour of the new drop. Halpin, who first encountered the brand during their last event in London, was honoured to be trusted with the task. “I’ve always had an appreciation for Scandinavian design - an influence which has continued to shape and inform my own design practice,” Halpin says, “so to work alongside a Danish brand like Anni Lu, where aesthetic and design is at the forefront, has been so inspiring.”

Club Mirage’s feeling of laid-back sophistication was Halpin’s starting point. “I wanted to reflect this through my lens, which meant a slightly more pared back approach, whilst allowing the notions of shape, form and soft neutral colours in particular to come to the fore,” the designer says. “I'm constantly thinking about aesthetic, and how seemingly ordinary things can make impact - this was my reference point throughout the event,” she explains. “We glamourised cherries, placing them on ice; we served a traditional Borek, threading the swirl motif from the jewellery into the food; and served a Sunshine Spritz, expertly mixed by Palmaráe Gin, to transport guests straight into the collection's lookbook, which was shot at Hotel Marqi, Portugal.”

Guests including floral designer Christie Leigh (responsible for the event’s blooms) mingled in the candle-lit space, which Halpin set up as a more unconventional setting – encouraging people to roam and chat. “Not so much informal, but it was important that everyone had a relaxed and welcomed experience, and I think that is what Anni Lu represents,” Halpin reflects.

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Halpin’s tip for pulling off an extra-special dinner event, as she did last night in London? “I think it is all about the guests. Bringing a mix of inspiring and creative people together for an intimate experience like this is both fun and rewarding - it creates a sense of community and shared experience,” she responds. “Oh, and keeping everybodies glasses sufficiently topped up always helps.”

See all the snapshots from the Anni Lu dinatoire below.