Backdrop and Xavier Donnelly Make a Toast—and an Ice Luge

On May 8, an intimate group of design-world notables gathered in Manhattan to raise a glass to Backdrop’s inaugural wallpaper collection with artist and Ash creative director Xavier Donnelly. Hosted by Donnelly and Backdrop co-founder Natalie Ebel, the evening transformed a quaint Tribeca loft into an immersive journey inside the new collection thanks to the large-scale murals draped inside depicting scenes of Italian landmarks and antiquity. Surrounded by the ethereal new collection, guests enjoyed a family-style Roman-inspired menu by Danny Newburg of Joint Venture that included raw scallop with preserved lemon, tender radicchio olives, and tuna belly with wild mountain herb sauce and fermented chili. The evening culminated with a strawberry rhubarb trifle—dramatically presented with sparklers—and shots from a Limoncello ice luge. Donnelly even hand-painted custom shirts for all the waitstaff. Among the notables in attendance were Sally Breer, Darren Jett, Oliver Haslegrave, Andy Baraghani, Anton Anger, Alan Eckstein, Mélanie Masarin, Ari Heckman, Billal Taright, and more. Photos by Kelsey Cherry.