The controversial Egyptian-themed party held in Ibiza last week has triggered widespread criticism over the huge amount of water reportedly used to create a temporary artificial lake. The event has also put the spotlight on the Van Wyck family, the organizers behind the lavish celebration, which was held to mark the 50th birthday of one of the family’s members.
Van Wyck & Van Wyck: behind some of the world’s most exclusive parties
Van Wyck & Van Wyck is the full name of the New York-based company specializing in the creation and production of high-end private parties and luxury events. Its client list gives a clear indication of the level at which it operates, featuring celebrities such as Beyoncé, Madonna, Sting, Elton John and Barack Obama, alongside luxury brands including Chanel, Hermès and Mercedes-Benz.
Looking into the parties organized by the Van Wycks since the company was founded in 1999, it is hard not to feel as though you are stepping into an episode of Succession, the award-winning TV series about the excesses and dysfunction of an ultra-wealthy family.
Luxury, extravagance and meticulous attention to detail are at the heart of the company’s work.
Who is Bronson van Wyck?
Mary Lynn van Wyck is the matriarch of the family, whose ancestry can be traced back to one of the Dutch families involved in the founding of New York City. However, it is her son Bronson van Wyck who has become the family’s most recognizable figure in the luxury events industry.
His profile grew further after the publication in 2019 of a book revealing his philosophy and advice on how to become the perfect party host.
Its title leaves little to the imagination: Born to Party, Forced to Work.
The book covers everything from weddings and birthday parties to Christmas celebrations, dinner parties, costume events and fundraising galas, offering an insight into the world of luxury entertaining that has made Van Wyck one of New York’s best-known event organizers.
Vogue once dubbed him the “Wizard of Oz of New York party planning.”
A history graduate with a passion for the past, Bronson van Wyck has used that interest to create elaborate themed events inspired by different historical periods and cultures. His latest production in Ibiza took Ancient Egypt as its central theme.
The occasion was the 50th birthday of his sister Mimi, the third prominent member of the Van Wyck family involved in the celebration. The temporary artificial lake created at the quarry appears to have been one particularly ambitious — and controversial — historical embellishment.
“Man proposes… and God laughs”
In an interview shortly after his book was published, Van Wyck revealed that his company had around 50 full-time employees, as well as another 90 freelance collaborators, including carpenters, seamstresses and painters.
The scale of the production staged last week at Sa Pedrera quarry in Ibiza illustrates the level of logistical and creative expertise involved in a Van Wyck event. Preparations reportedly took almost three weeks, while the dismantling process has also taken several days.
The American party planner has also made no secret of his affection for Ibiza. In another interview, when asked about his favorite form of exercise, he replied that he enjoyed “hiking among ruins in Turkey or on the hillsides of Ibiza.”
He has also revealed that every few years he returns to a famous cape shop in Madrid to buy one of the garments, while his culinary credentials include an unusual claim: “I’ve been flown to the White House to cook fried chicken.”
The philosophy behind the party planner
Van Wyck’s own book may even contain some advice on how to deal with the controversy surrounding his latest Ibiza Egyptian-themed party.
The book opens with a prologue titled “Man proposes… and God laughs.”
It remains unclear whether the laughter surrounding the Ibiza event currently belongs to Osiris, Anubis or Ra. What is clear, however, is that Van Wyck & Van Wyck continues to stand by its work at the quarry in Sant Antoni.
In a statement released two days after the event, the company defended the production and maintained that its work at the Ibiza venue had been carried out to the highest professional standards.
The controversy over the artificial lake and water consumption, however, has placed a very different spotlight on the world of ultra-luxury event planning — one where spectacular settings, historical themes and extraordinary production budgets can collide with growing concerns about water use and environmental impact in Ibiza.