Walking into Varo House’s launch party on Friday, February 2nd, guests were struck with a sense that this party was something different—no small detail had gone unplanned or unnoticed. From the decoration to the guest list to the drinks menu, the founders of Varo House had clearly put a lot of thought into their first event, hosted at the Signet Society clubhouse.
Varo House is a new organization founded by Stephanie Hu ’26, Jovan Lim ’25, and Maia Posternack ’26. They describe themselves as a “full-service event-hosting agency” focused on “elevating social gatherings and parties for its clientele of students and student organizations.” The Independent was able to attend their launch party on Friday and interview the founders on their motivation behind the agency and the event.
“Our entire mission is to help fulfill the vision of whatever client we’re working for,” Hu explained. They intend to work with Harvard student organizations as well as individual students looking to plan an event, and their approach is tailored to the client: “We can be as full service as the client wants us to,” which includes planning, hiring staff, acquiring a venue, running an event, and even cleaning up. Their launch party was just a demonstration of what they can do.
Invited to the launch party were primarily leaders of student organizations—Varo House’s potential clientele—who received wax-sealed invitations at their dorm rooms. They also invited members of the arts community—potential collaborators for future events—along with friends and plus-ones, bringing the guest list to 270 people.
It is safe to say the event was a success. The Signet was packed but with room to move. The dress code was masquerade black tie with “a surrealist twist” (Varo House is named after Spanish surrealist painter Remedios Varo). The crowd did not disappoint, with weird and wacky additions to their typical formal attire. This, along with the surrealist marketing materials, made the entire event feel a little more special than most. The music, drinks, and decoration established the team’s ability to execute the event itself.
Upon entering, we were pointed to the two bars and the three different rooms. The main room was the “Space Room,” with lavish decorations, a bar with their special themed cocktail menu, and the performing musicians. Off to the sides were the “Salon Room,” for a more subdued hangout with snacks, and the “Supper Room,” where hosts had a more intimate conversation with guests about what Varo House is.
A particular highlight of the event was the set by the second band of the evening, Ekblad and the Slugs, who played during peak time to a busy room. Frontman Tyler Heaton ’25 brought an undeniably infectious energy with his performance, uplifting the entire room while backed by a talented group of musicians. They were preceded by a jazz band, Out of Time, and followed by DJ Rick Zhou ’25.
Posternack emphasized that the rooms, the drinks, and the music were all a part of their meticulous planning. “We wanted each of the three rooms to be different… We wanted [the music] to be a progression throughout the night—that’s why it starts with jazz, then goes to indie rock and ends with house music… Even the fact that the cocktails were all based on surrealist artists.” For a client, much of Varo House’s value lies in their ability to pay attention to all of the little details.
The collaboration with Harvard artists, including the musicians, photographers, and even the bartenders, is a particular selling point of Varo House. That was also a big motivation for Lim: “There is a lot of talent that exists, and they are amazing in their own special way,” and those artists usually only have platforms where “if you’re in the [arts] crowd, you will attend such events. But I think our mission is to bring that to the forefront of what we do.” Indeed, many student organizations might not know where to start when looking for entertainment, so Varo House could be crucial in connecting the artists and the clients.
Another draw is Varo House’s collaboration with sponsors, which reduces costs through marketing deals whilst supporting small businesses. At their launch party, flowers from Brattle Square Florist adorned the rooms, and the drinks contained spirits from Yobo Drinks. They plan to continue to build their relationships with businesses, easing the burden on clients to make business deals.
Discussing the formation of Varo House, Hu explained that she “loves hosting events and loves creating special, intimate spaces where people are able to connect with each other.” She gained experience throwing events while working for a marketing agency last summer and learned “a lot about what it means to throw an impactful event that would be able to deliver on a brand’s mission.” She quickly realized the potential market for similar events on the Harvard campus.
Hu reached out to Lim and Posternack in December—she explained that she was looking for people who “were great planners, were very detail-oriented, and tapped into the creative arts scene at Harvard.” They all “love event-hosting, love logistics, love detail work, and it is all very fun for us.” Thus, Varo House was formed.
To work with Varo House, potential clients need to negotiate a reasonable quote for a particular event, which would cover the costs of the party along with a fee for the service. This could be a good financial decision for someone looking to host a large event—Varo House can get the right deals and execute the event with much more expertise than your average social chair.
Varo House is already in demand, with one event planned for a client this week and discussions with several other prospective clients, potentially filling their schedule until Spring Break. Find them at www.varo-house.com or @varohouse on Instagram if you are looking to elevate your gatherings but need some expert help to make it happen.
Andrew Spielmann ’25 (andrewspielmann@college.harvard.edu) loves a good theme.