COVINGTON, La. – Nearly 50 years after creating hand-painted Mardi Gras masks for a French Quarter gift shop, Fancy Faces Décor and Lighting has grown into a full-service event décor company serving conventions, corporate meetings, Mardi Gras balls, weddings and other special events nationwide.
The company’s evolution wasn’t driven by a single strategic decision. Instead, each stage of its growth came from recognizing new opportunities—from convention souvenir orders to custom centerpieces to large-scale décor and lighting for meetings and special events.
The business traces its roots to 1978, when hand-painted ceramic Mardi Gras masks were created for Kings and Clowns, a French Quarter gift shop owned by a member of the O’Donnell family. The masks were designed as distinctive New Orleans souvenirs and were eventually sold in retail stores across the country.
Steve Hamel Jr., co-owner of Fancy Faces Décor and Lighting, said an event planner’s order for convention souvenirs helped the company recognize a new business opportunity.
“An event planner walked into Kings and Clowns and ordered 500 small ceramic masks for a convention group,” Hamel said. “This opened up our eyes that there is another way to sell our product. That was a new direction that we took on.”
That initial convention order marked the beginning of the company’s transition from selling retail souvenirs to serving the meetings and events industry.
Expanding Beyond Mardi Gras Masks
As the company’s convention business grew, clients began requesting more elaborate event décor built around its ceramic masks. Fancy Faces created mask-adorned centerpieces for a Mary Kay Cosmetics event at the Hilton Riverside New Orleans, and Hamel said another large convention order helped redefine the business.
“We had a large group (Microsoft) at the Sheraton New Orleans that a local event planner ordered a very large order of ceramic masks,” Hamel said. “The planner had made a comment that we need a centerpiece that would use a mask in it. That opened up a whole new direction for us. Our company now has entered the centerpiece decor industry.”
Fancy Faces – Expanding Nationwide
A breakthrough came after an unexpected cold call. Hamel said the company contacted Special Events Magazine hoping to sell ceramic masks to an upcoming convention but instead received an invitation to exhibit at the publication’s trade show.
“The one group I had called to ask if they would like to buy any masks for their convention group while they were in New Orleans was ‘Special Events Magazine,'” Hamel said. “They said they were not interested in purchasing any mask, but would you like to attend the show as a vendor.”
The company exhibited at the trade show for the next 25 years in cities across the country, introducing its lighted feather centerpieces and expanding into the national meetings and events industry. The business eventually broadened its offerings to include custom florals, draping, lighting design and furniture, with approximately 75% of its work serving out-of-town clients through shipping and on-site installations.
Nearly five decades after creating its first ceramic Mardi Gras masks, Fancy Faces Décor and Lighting has grown into a full-service décor and lighting provider that remains family owned.
Fancy Faces Décor and Lighting Today
Today, Fancy Faces operates from a 15,000-square-foot facility in Covington with eight full-time employees and 10 contract installers. The company provides décor and lighting for meetings and conventions, Mardi Gras balls, New Year’s Eve celebrations, fundraisers, weddings and other special events, serving clients throughout the United States and internationally through shipping and on-site installations.
“Fancy Faces strives to provide clients with a personalized experience by ensuring that their vision is understood and executed seamlessly,” Hamel said. “As a family-owned business, Fancy Faces treats its customers as family. We give 150% to each client contract and are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure client satisfaction.”
Hamel said the company plans to continue emphasizing innovation while adapting to changes in the events industry.
“We will continue to offer innovation and creativity for the special events decorative industry,” Hamel said. “There will always be challenges that we will adapt to. We will continue to offer high-quality products and services. We care and will always care about what our customers need.”
