Tabula Rasa was an invite-only, all white party and social experiment held by Illo on December 20th, 2019. The party was intended to provide people of all identities, orientations, and backgrounds a safe space to dance, eat, and make memories free from any judgement. It was an end-of-year celebration to start the turn of the decade with a “clean slate”; the concept inspired the name of the event.

Guests were given no context to the event (other than the following graphic/invitation) and had to follow rules to be allowed to participate, including a secrecy policy: guests were not allowed to talk about the party until after the party. People were unaware of exactly who was in attendance and did not know the final location of the event until 12 hours before. Communication from Illo to the guests was on a strict one-on-one basis. Lastly, guests had to wear all white clothing to be permitted entry; anyone without all white was turned away.

The strict rules in place caused a stir of curiosity within friend groups and Illo associates. It seems as if the best way to get people to talk about something is to tell them not to talk about it.