To celebrate Halloween 2024, KIND designed and produced the inaugural ‘Grindr Pleasure Ball’ in aid of ‘Grindr for Equality’. 

The theme ‘Flirts, Follies & Finery; Georgian Era Fantasy’, was inspired by 18th century queer spaces, where gay men, trans and gender non-conforming people could meet in secret and express their sexuality/identity. Guests were invited to roam the Gayborhood through time, honouring those shoulders upon which we are stood by paying homage to the communities that paved the way. 

Guests arrived to a blacked out exterior with Grindr mask peepholes, before stepping into The West Village gallery space transformed with draping inspired by lifted petticoats, lighting design by Faro and floral artistry by Metalflora. The ground floor featured a branded photomoment with the BFA and NYMag on hand to capture guests' looks, the dramatic main bar and the chandelier-adorned dancefloor with music by the iconic Kevin Aviance and Kim Ann Foxman. 

‘Hot Gossipers’, handed out flirtation cards, enticing guests to curated experiences awaiting them upstairs in the ‘Mansion’ space. Here guests could find a more intimate atmosphere, including a secret champagne bar and a sumptuous banquet style grazing table filled with sculptural displays of food designed to be fed to each other. Artist James Davison sketched guest portraits + iconic NY poet Kay Gabriel wrote bespoke cheeky ‘Grindr poetry’ on custom branded ‘calling cards’, a nod to the culture that existed within the spaces of the time.

Thoughtful details woven into the production included - custom ‘Pleasure Ball’ fans, gem stone inspired jelly shots by queer-owned Solid Wiggles, a powder room sponsored by Viktor & Rolf down to styling each member of the wait staff with an individual period look.