The sold-out event raised over $4.3 million, showcasing the power of the attendees. The entrance to the Conservatory Garden was a colorful display of floral dresses and various sized hats and fascinators.
Many attendees spent considerable time and effort sourcing or creating hats specifically for the event. Designer Lela Rose brought a unique approach to the occasion with her “cowgirl comes to the city” themed attire.
“We just opened a store in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I live 65 percent of the time now, so this is part of our Lela Rose Ranch collection,” said Rose, showing off her quilted toile de jouy skirt and sheer gingham top; she finished the look with a tall Western hat with a dramatically swooped brim by Esenshel designer Rodney Patterson.
“He does all of these fabulous proportions and I just love what he does, so I was like, I’m just going with the whole cowgirl theme.”
Using fashion waste sourced from the Community Center Westchester, where he volunteers, designer Andrew Yu created a complete look, consisting of a hat, top, and bag.
“What I’m wearing is all upcycling,” Yu said of his colorful pom-pom ensemble. “I wanted to make something to show my creativity, and also to support a good charity and raise awareness of so much wastage in fashion and fast fashion.”
Ali Wentworth and Mariska Hargitay also took a sustainable approach, borrowing their hats from women’s committee board member Sharon Jacob. “I have a big [collection] after 20 years of coming,” Jacob said.
“She has like 60 hats, so every year I go over to her house, and I try them all on and I try to figure out what I can build an outfit around,” Wentworth said. “I wore a big hat last year, so I wanted to wear a fascinator. And then Mariska borrowed a hat from [Jacob] as well. She dressed us.”
Like virtually everyone else congregated under the tent, Wentworth is a big fan of the city’s greenspace.
“I walk six miles a day with my dog every morning in Central Park. I walk with my bestie Mariska everyday in the park, and I think the city would not be the same if it did not have Central Park,” Wentworth added. “So I’m a big believer in supporting it, and they figured out a very fun way to do it — you know, I don’t need to pick up trash or plant anything.”
For this occasion, Central Park Conservancy president Betsy Smith opted for a different style choice and decided to forego her usual floral attire. In the past, she had donned floral dresses to match the spring theme, but this time around, she wanted to try something new. Smith sported a leopard print skirt suit and a hat adorned with a few fabric red roses.
Before the lunch commenced, Smith stood near the stage and greeted the attendees, which included Michael Bloomberg, a long-time supporter of the conservancy. The awards ceremony was sponsored by Harry Winston, St. John, and J.P. Morgan, and recognized the contributions of Yesim Philip, Sara Cedar Miller, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
Smith emphasized that the gathering is a grand celebration of Central Park and that everyone is present to enjoy themselves. Dressing up and socializing with one another are highly appreciated, but supporting the park holds paramount importance to all attendees, as they are well aware of its significance.
This article originally appeared in WWD has been updated.