Think Christmas Eve, but ahead of 4/20. That was the vibe last night at Edie Parker Flower’s East Village cocktail party. Held at Ding-a-Ling, the venue was transformed into a sort of weed-inspired wonderland complete with marijuana motifs and mood-shifting takeaways.
Brett Heyman, the founder of the cannabis collectibles and accessories brand, hosted the event which feted the launch of its first campaign titled Weed’s Come A Long Way, Baby!—which, like its products, are vintage-inspired. Though Edie Parker started out as a fashion accessories brand, Heyman has more recently embraced cannabis as a product category but also a cause. She acknowledges and addresses the inequalities prevalent in the burgeoning cannabis industry through the Edie Parker Foundation, the associated 501(c)(3) which partners with the Women’s Prison Association to support reintegration into society.
Of her latest campaign, Heyman was (perhaps surprisingly) inspired by Virginia Slims ads. “It was like as the feminist movement was gaining steam, the ads featured all these women who were out of the kitchen. They were stylish, independent, and it was about how far they’ve come,” says Heyman of the campaign. And so, Heyman tapped three women who are public cannabis users for the Edie Parker Flower campaign: Richie Shazam, Fiffany Luu, and Faith Juggernauth. Though the trio certainly were not the only fashion-forward stars flooding the party. Standing at the bar, posing for pictures, or gathered chatting with friends were names like Wes Gordon and Rachelle Hruska or top models like Lameka Fox and Vanessa Moody. The walls were adorned with the brand’s fresh concepts, groovy tunes were spun by Va$htie and Ruby Aldridge, and finger foods like hot dogs and nachos were offered; the space felt fun and carefree.