Kigali’s Dîner en Blanc 2013: The year’s most elegant event

About 600 people dressed in elegant white descended on the street between Rwanda Development Board building and Tele10, last Saturday afternoon for the annual Diner en Blanc or Dinner in white. The street was the secret location for this year’s event.“I love Diner en Blanc and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of it. The exciting bit of the event is always its secret location and meeting new people,” said Jessica Umutoni, one of the guests.This year, the pop-up dining event was hosted by Illume Creative Studio. The guest list included people from as far as Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, the United States and India. Guests were required to follow the Dîner en Blanc rules, in order to ensure a wonderful evening. All participants were required to wear all white and bring their own table settings and table décor. According to Anne Mazimhaka, the Creative Director of Illume Creative Studio, participants were told to meet at one of seven different pick-up points around the city and were transported by Kigali Bus Service (KBS) buses to the secret venue. Within minutes of arrival, guests started setting up their tables in orderly rows complete, with white tablecloths. They also displayed food they carried along, or what they purchased in advance from participating restaurants and official food service providers. All tables featured one-of-a-kind original art work that included flowers and scented candles in glasses. Passersby stopped to gawk at the spectacle.The highlights of the evening included a live performance by the Mico Band and prizes for best table, best volunteer, most elegant, and most creative provided by Serena Hotel, The Manor hotel, Hotel des Mille Collines, MTN, RDB and Gemeya. A raffle was also drawn and prizes included a helicopter trip over Akagera Park for two couples, courtesy of Akagera Aviation. Also on menu for the winners was a fully paid two nights for two at Lake Muvino Lodge in Tanzania, courtesy of Rwandair and Serena Hotels. After dining, DJ Toxxyk played an eclectic blend of music and participants hit the dance floor. Others took photographs and met new people. The Dîner en Blanc began in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and has since expanded to several cities around the world. The event was introduced in Rwanda on August 11, 2012.

Leisure

Kigali’s Dîner en Blanc 2013: The year’s most elegant event