Inside The City's Most Flower-Filled Fête, The New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Dinner

There is simply no more beautiful (and ruthless) an event on the social calendar than The New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Dinner.

In a city that seems always to be running late, arrive just ten minutes past the start time of the  annual soirée's cocktail hour, which features a stunning sale of exceptional and rare orchids, and you'll find nary a plant not marked with a rude Sold sign. A sea of sharks in black tie all desperate for a stem...

Over 350 stylishly suited and gowned guests flocked to The Plaza last Thursday evening to celebrate the garden's orchid show, whose theme, Florals in Fashion, inspired a ballrooms-worth of elaborate, towering centerpieces, each dreamed up by a most inspiring lineup of designers, florists and landscape enthusiasts.

Curious to see who wore what to the flowering affair?

Lizzie Asher, Casey Kohlberg, Laura Day Webb

Madeleine Goldberg, Isabel Leeds

Crystal Kotei

Joseph Augello, Michael Crowley

Canan Marshall, Pender Lanam

Freya Drohan, Christie Grimm

Surya Garg, Arden Wolf

George Matelich, Susan Matelich, Jennifer Bernstein, Semia Dunne

Alexander Hankin, Polina Proshkina

 Olivia Cheng, Sutton Stracke

[Photos by Darian DiCianno/BFA]