Onyx Collective drama series “Queenie” follows a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman who is straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. Queenie has recently experienced some significant life changes - a break-up, a fallout with her friend, and her career isn’t playing out at all how she imagined - not to mention, that she has some unresolved trauma from her childhood. There’s a lot to unpack, both literally and metaphorically, as she attempts to navigate this complicated, life-redefining transition period. It can be difficult to rebuild and move on if you haven’t fully reconciled your past.
The series is based on Candice Carty-Williams’ best-selling book of the same name.
Queenie's core themes touch on the stereotypical tropes about Black women, the journey of inner-healing, and the fundamental support friendships provide during very real, very relatable quarter-life crises.
Leading up to the series premiere, Onyx Collective’s objective was to create an authentic premium premiere experience for select influential press and cultural tastemakers. This unforgettable event would immerse the attendees in “Queenie’s” rich world, inspiring them to spread the word about the new series and encourage their followers to stream it on Hulu.
Onyx Collective invited 16 guests, including key contributors from Bustle, Buzzfeed, The Cut, Elle, Essence, The Hollywood Reporter, Glamour, Refinery29, Teen Vogue, and more; to London for a very special, 48-hour celebration of “Queenie.”
The immersive British experience kicked off as soon as travelers touched down with branded arrival cards from black cab chauffeurs and a custom welcome gift. Inspired by the series, Onyx Collective also created a WhatsApp group chat named “The Corgis” to foster camaraderie within the group, similar to the one between Queenie and her best gal pals.
In the evening, guests were encouraged to throw on their pink pajamas and head to the cinema room of the hotel for a slumber party-esque screening. The night was decorated with lush lounge furniture, cheeky cocktails named after notable quotes in the show, and a very fitting “girl dinner” before binging the first two episodes. The screening was followed by a Q&A that included showrunner and author of “Queenie,” Candice Carty-Williams, and the stars of the series Dionne Brown and Bellah.
The next day, The Corgis chat sounded off the alarm for guests to board the Queenie red double-decker bus for a tour of Queenie’s stomping ground of South London, stopping at notable locations recognized from in the series and enjoying local culture first-hand.
