Hosted by Adrian Mainella, Tana shows off their Spring/Summer 2012 collection
A chilly Wednesday evening at one of Toronto's newest resto-bars-Black Moon Lounge-footwear care company Tana showed their S/S 2012 collection. Emceed by veteran television host and genial fashion personality Adrian Mainella, the invite boasted an evening of fabulous footwear and a shoe competition judged by none other than Mainella himself. Attendees were told to put on their fiercest platforms for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to Browns Shoes and a hoard of Tana products.
One of the first to arrive, decked out in 7" sparkly stilettos, I offered to bribe Mainella in exchange for the gift card to Browns. While $500 doesn't go far, anything that fuels my shoe addiction is welcomed with open arms. An intimate setting, it was a small crowd of media and personalities mingling around the lounge – a photographer and videographer flitted amongst the patrons, snapping photos and filming shots. To my dismay, my open-toed stilettos were photographed at a relatively close range. After years of physical abuse by my beloved platforms, my feet have been reduced to something one would see in the dictionary next to the words 'mutant', 'ugly', 'deformed' and 'hideous'. Accompanied by my out of town friend Carlin (who was attired in leather dress shoes), we were treated to a foot-care demonstration by one of the highly-entertaining Tana girls; they shined and buffed one of his shoes in order for us to see the difference between the two.
The atmosphere at Black Moon Lounge was sleek and sexy with a Tim Burton-esque feel: oversized light fixtures with legs give off a spider vibe, while black sparkly wall tiles glittered darkly in the smoldering light. An array of hors d'ouevres were set out along the bar-spring rolls, beet puree with lettuce (which I'll admit, despite my severe loathing for that particular root vegetable, tasted amazing), oysters, rack of lamb and seared steak on crackers. Signature blue martinis made from blue curacao and gin were just sweet enough to sip, and just strong enough to give you a buzz. Mainella was a bubbly host, working the crowd and mingling with the guests; I couldn't think of a better face for the footwear care brand.
Featured in Tana's S/S 2012 collection was Tana Suede & Nubuck Cleaner-removes stains and spots while conditioning and softening and restoring nap-Tana Suede & Nubuck Protector-repels water, dirt and stains; dries quickly and prevents dirt from setting in for an easier clean-Tana Patent Care-protects patent, pearlized, metallic and reptile leathers. It cleans, conditions and preserves glossy leathers without damaging the shoe-Tana Sandal Cleaner-Ideal for sandals and footbeds, it keeps footwear hygienic with an easy to use scrub-brush applicator.
A few cocktails, convos, apps and a gift bag full of Tana products later, I couldn't hold out any longer and called it a night-four hours' worth of sleep, work early the next morning and other obligations had me sneaking out of the event. In all, the evening had all of the essential ingredients for a good night.
From top to bottom: Adrian Mainella, Tana Patent Care for Leather, the winning platform shoes of the night, the entire Tana Spring/Summer 2012 shoe care collection.
Sources: tana.com, brownshoes.com, and twitter