On Monday, August 16, Anthropologie, a home and clothing store, stayed true to its trend-setting name by hosting its first customer event of its kind called “Two for the Road: An evening with Anna and Keith.” Housed inside the modern, yet charmingly rustic Urban Outfitters warehouse located in Philadelphia, 145 Anthropologie customers, who registered for the event via email, attended the glam event in style.

Adorned in cocktail attire, guests quickly could enter the party after checking in. Immediately after stepping inside, guests felt as if it was a celebrity event. Photographers took pictures of all those in attendance, and servers continually offered a variety of fine refreshments. In addition to the luxurious hospitality, guests were able to admire a gallery of art from around the world.

Famous for its quirky merchandise and interior design of its stores, the gallery mirrored the brand’s famous tastes.  One group of pieces in the gallery were large picture frames that from afar looked like painted wood, yet were made from recycled cardboard boxes carved in intricate designs. Another fascinating piece of art was a large white bird with out-stretched wings made entirely from paper and black generic pins.

Although the gallery was intriguing, the design of the warehouse itself captured the eyes of the guests. When entering the building, despite a sturdy roof overhead, it felt as if one had just stepped inside a modern Asian inspired courtyard. Two large ponds filled with real koi fish faced guests on the back wall and served as a nice seating area as wooden benches outlined the water. Several large, gothic Chinese lanterns hung from the rafters, and the bar’s white leafy cutout design reminded guests of elegance from countries overseas.

At 7:30, guests were welcomed into the screening room by co-presidents of Anthropologie, Wendy Wurtzburger and Wendy McDevitt. After their short, cordial presentation, guests saw an unreleased episode of “Man Shops Globe: Syria”, a television show on Sundance channel. Then Keith Johnson, both an actor on the show and the store’s art and antique buyer, along with the special guest of the episode, Anna Sui, a world-renowned designer, answered questions about their quests to find inspiration for designs in their world travels.

At 8:45, food and refreshments were served, consisting of gourmet cheese puffs to cocktail shrimp. Although the event came to a close at 9 p.m., all guests were given complimentary gift bags filled with items from Anna Sui’s perfume and candle line.

Anthropologie continued to impress its loyal fan base with this special event that perfectly matched its genuinely unique style.