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'80s 28 THE EYE BALL WINKS AT BUBBLE- GUM TEENYBOPPERS, JIFFY POP AND PARACHUTE PANTS. By Christina Geyer. Photography Beckley & Co., Fort Lion Studio, Kristi and Scot Redman. rubber, bubble-gum-pink blob of an invi- tation arrived at the office. The Eye Ball, it proclaimed, with a date, time, and the all-important note that capacity was lim- ited. No dress code was mentioned, but everyone was discussing it. We've learned through the years that the theme and attire for The Eye Ball — the annual must-attend hosted by Headington Companies adjacent to Tony Tasset's massive Eye sculpture — typ- ically start with a hint from the invite. Last year, it was a colorful mobile, suggesting we were to attend a fiesta. (And we did, tequila in full force.) Another year, party deets were written in invisible ink, foreshadowing a magical, mysterious eve. This year's invitation, though, left even the most seasoned Eye Ball-goers scratching their heads. Was the rubber invitation a paint splatter, or was it a piece of bubble-gum that someone had just pulled off their shoe? The answer came a week before the party, while I was paying a visit to Vintage Martini in search of a last- minute black-tie something to wear to the Nasher Prize Gala. The statuesque Jan Strimple was there, fitting a mannequin in a hot-pink tulle skirt — an undeniable '80s fashion moment. I asked what she was up to. Quietly, she told me she was working on model wardrobes for The Eye Ball. "It's '80s …" she told me. "But an interpre- tation of the era. Bubble-gum pop — you know." Aha! As party night approached, word spread about the theme, and a flurry of wardrobe prep commenced. A sudden cold snap in the middle of April didn't help any of our causes, but allowed me the perfect chance to don my own interpretation of a Canadian tuxedo: white denim jeans, acid-wash denim shirt, a sky-high ponytail, and fuchsia Marc Jacobs lipstick. An '80s teenybopper. A giant boombox set the tone at the entrance to The Eye Ball. We passed through a time machine into a scene that called to mind Madonna's "Like A Virgin" album, scenes from The Breakfast Club, and spots from the earliest days of MTV. POP! Goes the Tony Tasset's Eye watches over The Eye Ball Kent Cummins, Muffin Lemak, Shelby Wagner, Kelle & Joe Jackson Lyric napkins Rebekah Cluley Hannah Fagadau spots the pizza tower Breakdancing the night away Yasmina Johnston Capri Sun-style cocktails