KATHMANDU

When Edgardo Zamora got a WhatsApp text from a friend inviting him to Nepal, he described the moment as 'magical'.

"This year, I did a course on mental training, called 'Mental Silva'. One of the exercises they teach is how to manifest. So, after I did this course, I manifested that this year I wanted to go to the Amazon and I want

to come to Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan," he said.

"Then, three weeks later, out of the blue, I got a WhatsApp message with the invitation."

Zamora is an award-winning event designer and the founder of Revelry Event Designers. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Edgardo has collaborated with top planners around the world and is renowned in Hollywood circles.

His work has been featured in renowned outlets like The New York Times and Vogue, and he counts high-profile celebrities, like the Kardashians, Justin Bieber, Brad Pitt and Beyoncé among his clients.

Zamora's presence in Nepal was made possible by Bull Events, which is working to position the country as a premier destination for luxury weddings and high-end events.

Priyanka Acharya

Priyanka Acharya, the company's representative in Nepal, said the idea to bring Zamora began with a conversation with a mutual friend.

"He mentioned Edgardo and said, 'You know what? He's one of the best Hollywood event designers. And the moment I saw his profile, I knew this was it," she said.

"But honestly, I didn't expect he would say yes. So I was both shocked and grateful when he did."

Born and raised in Argentina, Zamora began his creative journey in the fashion industry.

"In the beginning, I was doing prêt-à-porter lines. But then came the fashion shows, TV shows, and magazines. So, I always had to have a bride in my fashion show. And that for me was a big mistake," he reflected.

"I was selling one dress instead of selling like 20 pieces!"

So, after nine years in fashion, he decided to sell his company and move to Spain, where his life was far from glamorous.

"I thought I was going to be the right hand of Armani, and it didn't happen," he joked. "I did all kinds of jobs - janitorial, waitering, security, everything - before I worked for a big nightclub, Pacha. I think this was my first step into event designing," he said.

Now he lives between Barcelona and Los Angeles. He got into the industry through a friend who was in the rental business in California.

"Fabrics are really my passion and my expertise," he shared. "So, people were very impressed with all my fabric treatments, ceiling treatments, wall treatments, tablecloths, chair covers, napkins - all these kinds of things we use for special events. And this is how I started."

Gradually, his talent caught the attention of A-list clients, but one story stood out to him the most. At a Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish ceremony, Zamora had designed towering aquarium centrepieces for an 'underwater' themed reception for a Hollywood manager.

Some of the guests for the event were the cast of the TV show Friends and Brad Pitt, who was dating Jennifer Aniston from the show at the time.

"The band was playing very loudly, making the water in the centrepieces tremble," he said.

"I was looking at the table where the cast was seated, and I saw one of the glasses starting to crack. So, I ran over to the table. But the aquarium broke and went like 'shwoosh', like a waterfall on the table."

In a few minutes, they changed the whole set. "I was like a little muse in the corner, going crazy," he recalled.

What happened next surprised him. Pitt and Aniston congratulated him, saying they admired how quickly he managed what could have been a disaster.

What he thought would get him sued got him hired for their wedding!

Zamora said that it is one of the turning points in his life.

"It was my first foot in the wedding industry. After that, all the wedding planners in the country wanted to work with me," he said.

Now, Zamora's designs are seen at some of the most high-profile parties in the world. Despite seeing all the luxuries in the world, from Paris to New York, he thinks that Nepal has a big potential as a destination for luxury events.

"A lot of my clients look for destinations that are exotic and different, and I think Nepal is exactly that," he said.

Zamora was amazed to see people still working on wood and stone by hand. "Today, I was in Patan walking around. I ended up bumping into someone because I'm looking up at the buildings," he said. "I love Nepal. My experience has been really flawless."

According to him, "the people make the country," and Nepal, for him, is "very simple and humble and lovely".

Zamora's primary focus in his work is ensuring customer satisfaction. For him, the best reward is seeing the guests arrive at the event and say, 'Wow'.

His objective is to bring his clients' vision to life. In Nepal, he sees the possibility of creating those moments in entirely new ways, not by recreating what he's done elsewhere, but by embracing what already exists here. The craftsmanship, the heritage, the sincerity of the people, all of it left a lasting impression.

As he prepares to leave, it's clear that this visit wasn't just a work trip. It was a creative spark, and perhaps the beginning of something lasting between one of Hollywood's most imaginative designers and a country brimming with stories to tell.