A special event warrants going the extra mile. Be it a deb party, sweet 16 or your own 50th birthday dinner, if it’s a big deal you’ll want to phone in the experts. There is no shortage of full suite event planners around town, but what if you’re primarily in need of party decor? A little something pretty that conveys a particular theme or mood. Well, you would be hard pressed to find two gentlemen more capable of pulling this off than Ben Miller and Grant Sutton of The Judy Garlands. Ben, a Lafayette native and longtime product manager for brands like the Ace Hotel, and Grant, an essayist, acupuncturist, and film consultant from North Carolina, have just the eclectic set of skills to produce something special for you. I chatted with them both over the phone last week and got the scoop!
How did you get into event styling? We both have backgrounds in creative fields and love Christmas. Rather whimsically, we started creating garlands and holiday vignettes for a few people. Gradually through Instagram and word of mouth we just grew from there.
What is unique about your business? We love to collaborate. We have so many friends locally in art and film that whatever a special project needs, we will be able to produce it in a new, artful way. We like to call our work, “visual storytelling.” We aren’t afraid to push the envelope to produce something immersive, layered, and unique.
Who is your ideal client? Anyone! We can style anything from a small dinner party to an entire hotel lobby and enjoy both types of projects. During the winter holidays, we do specialize in garlands and festive arrangements for anyone who needs a little extra Christmas spirit!
What’s inspiring you for Spring? We recently worked on an installation at The Chloe with local artist Basqo Bim, who incorporates tulle into his artful masks. That was really fun and different for us. We are always searching for unique materials to work with. In general, we like to avoid trends, and it is a great, creative challenge.
Any philanthropic work on the horizon? On Friday, April 5th, we are supporting St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital by participating in their Once Upon a Dream themed Flower Fest competition in Baton Rouge. We have the honor of creating a 12×12, 3D floral installation alongside other esteemed florists. It is a great cause and will be so much fun!
Where can we find you? We are currently renting space as a workshop behind Merchant House at 1150 Magazine Street. Our Instagram handle is @thejudygarlands or you can visit our website: benmillerstudio.com.
Meet Penn, Shop Talk Blogger
Penn larocci is a born and raised New Orleanian. After graduating from Tulane University she lived in NYC for nine years working in sales and marketing at an investment bank. When she missed New Orleans more than she could stand, she moved back home, met her husband and started a family. She’s now raising two rambunctious little boys and spending her free time on environmental sustainability projects.