Slavic Born: Lisa Manila’s Birthday at Medusa BGC

The brief went beyond placing bouquets around a room. We wanted to build a complete visual moment: something guests would notice as they entered, approach without prompting, and photograph as part of the night. Inside a dark, high-energy venue, it needed to feel generous and polished, visibly belong to Holy Chic, and reward a closer look.

We therefore treated the flowers, branded surfaces, objects, and guest route as one composition. The red palette and floor-to-ceiling mirror gave the set visibility; bouquets and branded details connected it to the studio; the photo areas were designed to invite guests into the scene rather than leave them looking at it from a distance.

Sergei Normanskii proposed the central idea: a contemporary floral scene built from the visual language of Slavic and Russian fairytales. A magic mirror, a bright apple, and the image of an apple moving across a silver plate became the starting points.

Rather than build a literal theatrical set, we translated those references into a small number of strong materials: mirrored surfaces, polished chrome plates, fresh red apples, red velvet, branded details, and fully opened red French roses. Sergei applied the Holy Chic branding to the mirrors, while Sergei Normanskii, Zegna Davidoff, and Inessa Bertta developed the installation together.

The apples were deliberately static. They were not fortune-telling props or part of an interactive game; their role was symbolic and visual.

That symbolism was not necessarily self-explanatory in a Manila nightclub, so our team introduced the fairytale reference to guests instead of assuming it would read on its own. The visual scene and the spoken explanation became two parts of the same presentation.

The main photo area sat to the left of the entrance, in a lounge-like part of Medusa with sofas and a natural role as a place to pause and take photographs. Red velvet established the base layer, while a large branded mirror running from floor level toward the ceiling gave the set its strongest vertical element. Opposite it, chrome plates and fresh apples formed a separate selfie spot.

Roses, apples, and supporting decorative elements created another focal composition at the entrance, so the idea was visible before guests reached the main photo zone. Large bouquets in Holy Chic boxes connected the installation to flowers that could actually be carried and given. The design relied on contrast rather than more ornament: natural flowers beside reflective surfaces, familiar fruit used at an unfamiliar scale, and a fairytale reference placed inside a contemporary supper club.

The team’s working estimate is that around 200 people attended during the evening, which ran from approximately 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. Zegna Davidoff and Inessa Bertta represented Holy Chic in the room, introducing the studio, explaining the fairytale idea, speaking with guests, and handling bouquet sales.

Some guests bought flowers at the venue to give to Lisa Manila for her birthday. We also offered a large bouquet of red French roses as the prize in a giveaway and presented additional Holy Chic bouquets to guests.

The clearest transition was physical: flowers moved out of the display and into guests’ hands. For us, that was the point at which the installation stopped being only a backdrop and became part of the celebration itself.

The decor remained at Medusa after the party ended. The team returned 2 days later to dismantle it and transport it out of the venue.

Lisa, thank you for letting our flowers become part of your celebration. We wish you a year of bold ideas, beautiful collaborations, and the freedom to keep creating through fashion, your work with Lyssai Limited, and whatever comes next. Happy birthday from all of us at Holy Chic.

Looking back at the production notes and the decisions the team had to make on site, 3 lessons stand out. The first is that a memorable floral installation begins with a narrative, not a shopping list.

Concept and article source: Sergei Normanskii, who developed the original fairytale direction, produced the branded mirror surfaces, joined the installation, and prepared the first-hand information behind this story. Creative development and on-site installation: Sergei Normanskii, Zegna Davidoff, and Inessa Bertta.

Accessories and fruit sourcing, guest presentation, sales, and giveaway coordination: Zegna Davidoff. Guest presentation, concept explanation, and sales: Inessa Bertta. Editing, publishing, and web production: Ruslan Makaev for Holy Chic.

The photographs and backstage clip in this article were supplied to Holy Chic; individual camera credits will be added once confirmed. A separate 2‑minute event film is currently in production and will be added after its final edit; no release date is being announced yet.