Inside The NYBG’s Star-Studded Spring Gala

The black-tie scene is back! And boy could you tell last night with the high spirits, and high stakes glamour, as guests attended The New York Botanical Garden’s Spring Gala in celebration of the KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature exhibit. Nothing, not even the June downpour outside, could stop the celebrations after a year-long postponement—as evidenced by the $1.3 million the evening raised for the NYBG’s various programs.

The event began with seasonal hors d’oeuvres and a Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktail hour—a welcome chance to discover the cool new polka dot Yayoi Kusama-decorated bottles and taste the new Vintage, La Grande Dame 2012. It also provided the welcome opportunity to marvel at the famed exhibit across the grounds and conservatory. Guests were then directed to a sit-down dinner and dancing, with music by DJ Mei Kwok—what a delight to see a colossal disco ball spinning above a dance floor once again!

Brooke Shields (BFA)

This year’s attendees included Gala Chairs Georgina Bloomberg, Lili Buffett, Kate Davis, Gillian Hearst, Sharon Jacob, Holly Lowen, Ashley McDermott, Janet Montag, and Deborah Royce. Additional guests included Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Brooke Shields, Alek Wek, Jodie Turner-Smith, Karlie Kloss, Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier, Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Fernando Garcia, Cynthia Rowley, Tina Leung, Nigel Barker, Cristina Cuomo, Aurora James and Benjamin Bronfman, Brian Atwood, and Jake Deutsch.

The evening was sponsored by Hearst, Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, and De Beers Jewellers, who, safe to say, ensured it was a truly glittering affair in every sense of the word. Feast your eyes on the night’s fashion, below!

Prabal Gurung, Tina Leung (BFA)

Nicky Hilton, Fernando Garcia (BFA)

Fe Fendi (BFA)

Brooke Shields, Alek Wek, Karlie Kloss (BFA)

Nacho Figueras, Delfina Blaquier (BFA)

Hannah Burch (BFA)

Jake Deutsch, Brian Atwood (BFA)

Lili Buffett, Gillian Hearst, Amory McAndrew (BFA)

Cynthia Rowley, Madeline Weeks (BFA)

Georgina Bloomberg, Nicky Hilton (BFA)

Kit Keenan, Lilah Ramzi, Cynthia Rowley, Pieper James (BFA)

Jodie Turner-Smith (BFA)