The Star

Dress: Maurie and Eve
Belt: FCUK
Shoes: Siren
Bag: Colette
Ring: Colette
Earrings: Colette

On Tuesday, I made the last minute decision to attend the re-launch of Sydney's Star City Casino that night. And boy, am I glad I did. Bearing its new, simply chic moniker, The Star is all bright lights and opulence, with fountains and gleaming marble as far as the eye can see. The opening party was held in the lobby of The Darling, The Star's own lovely hotel, and no expense was spared. Costing a reported $300,000, the event involved four DJs (who were confusedly trying to take turns, having no idea when each others' three-song set would end), several private rooms, a reception desk acting as champagne bar (with countless different champagnes to try) and at the far end of the room, a stage, set for... Stevie Wonder. Yes sir, you read correctly. The man himself. 

Stevie Wonder (the one who is completely white from the spotlight. Sorry for the useless photo, but you get the idea.)

    

After Stevie's incredible hour-long performance, pairs of dancers swarmed into the room and began an amped up routine to Kate Hudson's version of 'Cinema Italiano' from the musical/film Nine. Amazing. I have that song on my main iPod playlist, for goodness sake! I'm fairly confident that I was the only one in the room singing along to every word. One of the female dancers even jumped down from her podium to dance with me, which was wonderful until she whipped me in the eye with one of the bead strings dangling from her spangly costume. 

My date for the night was my mum (a babe and a huge Stevie Wonder fan; how could I not bring her as my date?) and after sampling the cocktails - mango margaritas and surprisingly delicious concoctions of gin and sake - she became involved in some kind of hectic dance-off with some other guests. She caned them, obviously, but it was clearly time to call it a night. 

I'm not sure how often I will return to The Star, purely because it is rather out of the way and I'm not really a gambler, but I can definitely see it as the set of many a fabulous shindig in future. Although I only saw as far as the The Darling lobby, it is certainly worth checking out all of the new decor, which includes prints of cult 1970s Blythe Dolls on the bar walls and a lot of mirrored surfaces and confusing doorways (the kind that are entirely perplexing after a couple of drinks). You've been warned.

April xx