Shoot up the elevator to ACE HOTEL’s rooftop and wind your way past the bar to the pool. If it’s a Saturday during SOFT, you might just find the water occupied by a drag mermaid (floating, appropriately, in a giant Chanel compact). SOFT is the new, bi-weekly party thrown by veteran LA nightlife impresario Nacho Nava, whose popular Mustache Mondays party at La Cita, a stone’s throw from the Ace Hotel, has kept Downtown’s queer set pushing the limitations of what qualifies as “the weekend” since 2008. Nacho told us he met Ace Hotel’s Alex Calderwood on one such Monday night years ago after the company had just signed on to convert the old United Artists building into its new Downtown home. Once the doors swung open, Ace Hotel approached Nacho to organize a night for the rooftop space, and thus the bi-weekly performance event SOFT was born.
Nacho Nava was joined by Nina McNeely, another experimental nightlife and performance art vet, to organize SOFT. The two set forth earlier this year to create a night of “the most random of situations” with the help of their comrades in performance art, choreography, design, and music. As Nacho told us, “We want our crowd to leave SOFT taking in all the beauty and history of the Ace Hotel mixed in with the artists that collectively inspire the energy of Los Angeles.” The performances at SOFT are meant to enhance the experience, but not necessarily draw focus. “For each SOFT event we select a handful of designers and performers to collaborate on an installation, and we ask them to create something visually impactful with a subtle story to guide and inspire the performers,” Nina said.
Last weekend’s event featured OCLA alum and KTCHN art director Adrian Gilliland, who worked with the performance artists GODDOLL and Jasmine Albuquerque (whose drawings inspire all of SOFT’s video flyers), to create pieces that Adrian described as “an exploration of the rituals of self-beautification,” which manifested in the work as the process of applying makeup. Together, the artists worked on three collaborations: GODDOLL floating on a giant Chanel compact in the pool, Jasmine Albuquerque sharpening oversized fingernails to decimate a giant strawberry, and a final piece with both performers clad in white, applying glittery lipstick and sharing kisses for the remainder of the evening.
Regarding the challenges of activating Ace Hotel’s rooftop space, Adrian told us, “I had a great talk with Nina about what works in the space and what doesn’t. It’s important to offer something people can see from all angles, and be a part of, to walk up to, stare at, and take pictures.” The pool was an immediate attraction, and the floating compact served as the springboard for the other beauty elements. GODDOLL on the compact “was our take on Venus … the classic beauty reimagined in a modern way.”
The collaborations, which made the space pop without dominating the scene, embodied the spirit of SOFT. Nacho added, “We’re not trying to reinvent anything … we also aren’t trying to produce this raging, banging Saturday night party. SOFT is more about interacting and the sharing of ideas, a very subtly crafted sensory environment.” No word yet on who will join forces next
Nacho Nava was joined by Nina McNeely, another experimental nightlife and performance art vet, to organize SOFT. The two set forth earlier this year to create a night of “the most random of situations” with the help of their comrades in performance art, choreography, design, and music. As Nacho told us, “We want our crowd to leave SOFT taking in all the beauty and history of the Ace Hotel mixed in with the artists that collectively inspire the energy of Los Angeles.” The performances at SOFT are meant to enhance the experience, but not necessarily draw focus. “For each SOFT event we select a handful of designers and performers to collaborate on an installation, and we ask them to create something visually impactful with a subtle story to guide and inspire the performers,” Nina said.
Last weekend’s event featured OCLA alum and KTCHN art director Adrian Gilliland, who worked with the performance artists GODDOLL and Jasmine Albuquerque (whose drawings inspire all of SOFT’s video flyers), to create pieces that Adrian described as “an exploration of the rituals of self-beautification,” which manifested in the work as the process of applying makeup. Together, the artists worked on three collaborations: GODDOLL floating on a giant Chanel compact in the pool, Jasmine Albuquerque sharpening oversized fingernails to decimate a giant strawberry, and a final piece with both performers clad in white, applying glittery lipstick and sharing kisses for the remainder of the evening.
Regarding the challenges of activating Ace Hotel’s rooftop space, Adrian told us, “I had a great talk with Nina about what works in the space and what doesn’t. It’s important to offer something people can see from all angles, and be a part of, to walk up to, stare at, and take pictures.” The pool was an immediate attraction, and the floating compact served as the springboard for the other beauty elements. GODDOLL on the compact “was our take on Venus … the classic beauty reimagined in a modern way.”
The collaborations, which made the space pop without dominating the scene, embodied the spirit of SOFT. Nacho added, “We’re not trying to reinvent anything … we also aren’t trying to produce this raging, banging Saturday night party. SOFT is more about interacting and the sharing of ideas, a very subtly crafted sensory environment.” No word yet on who will join forces next