Covering the North American International Auto Show in Detroit was a treat, as I was able to co-mingle among the journalists and bloggers I have come to know over the past several years. So what if there was very little in the way of news; Who cares if the bloggers were making up posts to keep the readers interested (like blogging about what coffee is being served, or covering the small protests that were going on outside the hall, or even covering the Booth Professionals!); The time spent at the show was both entertaining and fascinating. However, the highlight for me was being invited to the Designer Night 2010 Party that was held at Camilo Pardo’s Studio, the Bankle Building on Woodward Avenue.

Our host was none other than Camilo Pardo, who is credited with designing the Ford GT working under J. Mays. Mr. Pardo is a true renaissance man, as he designs furniture, creates fashion, and produces magnificent art. Each year, this is the event to see and be seen, with an invitation list that is limited to those in the design industry and is coveted by many. This years event had corporate sponsorship, such as Autodesk Software & Systems, Saleen Automotive, and a host of others. The annual party is billed as an evening of art & design, with food, cocktails, and live music. The event also offered its own fashion show, with models making the rounds, wearing some of Mr. Pardo’s Pop Art-like fashion designs. One outfit was a skin tight overall jumpsuit that suggested the paint job on the red open-wheel vintage Formula 1 racecar that was on display. Another outfit was printed in a crossword puzzle pattern, while others were stylized in a mod print fashion that was popular in the London pop fashion craze of the late 60s.

But it was the art that was memorable. Paintings of Race Cars, Planes, and Fashion Models, mixed with the art of 4 wheels, including Pardo’s own Ferrari 512 BB, a vintage Fiat 500, and a Saleen S7. Among the cars was the Challenger I saw at SEMA that was designed to look like a modern Charger Daytona, complete with an aerodynamic nose, and a sky high spoiler. So, how did the likes of UDMan and engineerd score invitations to an event like this? That, my friends, is a secret that I won’t reveal.