“The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion”

A tabletop centerpiece featuring a dress covered in orchids, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

The Plaza Hotel Ballroom blossomed with orchid displays, floral enthusiasts, and fashion aficionados at the New York Botanical Garden’s Annual Orchid Dinner on Thursday night. Approximately 350 guests turned out in celebration of the Garden’s fashion-forward “The Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion,” which Time Out New York refers to as the “runway moment” for these “divas of the plant world.”

Sale of Rare Orchids, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

The evening began with cocktails and the sale of exceptional and rare orchids (the rarest of the rare sold early), followed by dinner and dancing in the Grand Ballroom. Now in its 21st year, this captivating event serves as the critical fundraiser for NYBG’s enviable orchid collection and a precursor to The Orchid Show, which runs from February 17 to April 21.

A dress form as orchid centerpiece, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

Proceeds from The Orchid Dinner support the Garden’s global plant research and conservation initiatives and programs in horticulture and education for all ages- all help protect the Earth’s biodiversity.

“In the middle of winter, The Orchid Dinner provides a splash of color, fragrance, and glamour just when people need it the most,”

Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden

Lead sponsors were Guerlain Paris, Hearst, and Veranda. Lead Chairs were Susan and George Matelich; the Event Chairs were Sharon and Bill Jacob, Gillian Hearst, Maureen K. and Richard L. Chilton, Jr., Barclay Collins 11 and Kristina Durr, Bertrand Pochet and Mrs. Edward K. Weld.

Event Chair Sharon Jacob, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

Design Chairs were Rachel Burrow, Style Director, Veranda, and Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids at The New York Botanical Garden.

The Orchid Show Florals in Fashion Exhibition in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, photo by nybg.org

For this year’s Orchid Show, the Garden invited three up-and-coming designers to create living couture creations on view in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Florals in Fashion Exhibition in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory made possible by the Estate of Enid A. Haupt.

Collina Strada by Hillary Taymour, Dauphinette by Olivia Cheng, and FLWR PSTL by Kristen Alpaugh bring the 2024 “Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion” to life with their dramatic creations inspired by this diverse and colorful flowering plant. In one installation, orchids are turned into avant-garde clothing. The second one features a regal queen. The final section uses AI to create anthropomorphic creatures wearing floral outfits.

Vanessa Friedman, fashion director, and chief fashion critic of The New York Times Style Section, will go behind the scenes of NYBG’s Orchid Show: Florals in Fashion with the three designers in a dynamic conversation on March 21 from 6:30 to 8 pm. Each will reveal the inspiration and process behind their living couture creations and what it was like to work directly with NYBG experts to create their orchid displays that express their creative flare. For more information, go to nybg.org.

Lauren Levison wearing Guild of Hands, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

There is an ongoing connection between flowers and fashion. The Orchid Dinner is always a fashionable event, with stylish guests like Polina Proshkina, Lauren Levison, Sharon Jacob, Lizzie Asher, and designer Olivia Cheng in attendance. Still, it was even more pronounced this time.

Alexander Hankin and Polina Proshkina, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

Many guests, both men and women, paid homage to the beautiful orchid in their attire. Some wore orchid corsages and floral brooches or put flowers in their hair. Polina Proshkina accessorized her simple black dress with a gold sculptural floral necklace by Schiaparelli. One man who designed a tabletop wore a brooch to match of his own creation.

Dinner Vice Chair Christopher Griffin, wearing colorful Christopher John Rogers, Photo by Laurel Marcus

Floral prints were abundant, though many opted for vibrant colors like pink, purple, and red, a color which is seen throughout the recent runways.

Dauphinette designer Olivia Cheng, Photo by Laurel Marcus

One real standout was Dauphinette designer Olivia Cheng, who wore a dress of her own design made of vintage kimonos in a particular shade of red, which, in Japanese culture, is meant to ward off evil spirits. There was also a lot of white and, of course, black. Since orchids come in every color, you really cannot go wrong.

Marilyn Kirschner & Laurel Marcus of Lookonline.com

Still, the stars of the evening are always the orchid centerpieces. Each table features a one–of–a–kind, over-the-top orchid floral arrangement by a different designer. Several, featuring mannequins, dress forms, and dresses strewn with orchids, were obviously inspired by fashion, and they outdid themselves this year.

Pennlyn Woosley’s centerpiece featuring a woman strewn with orchids, Photo by Marilyn Kirschner

Among my favorites were Pennlyn Woosley’s woman strewn in orchids, sitting atop a tall and lavish orchid sculpture, and Texas-based Ace Berry’s creation, featuring a woman covered in orchids with a headpiece made of orchids.

Latest Comments:

  9. Irene and Matt are so authentic! Love that they still do the live formats where we can ask questions or…

Marilyn Kirschner

I am a long time fashion editor with 40+ years of experience. As senior market of Harper's Bazaar for 21 years I met and worked with every major fashion designer in the world and covered all of the collections in Paris, London, Milan and New York. I was responsible for overall content, finding and pulling in the best clothes out there, and for formulating ideas and stories.

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