Annual NY Botanical Gardens Orchid Dinner

Last week, I had the honor and privilege to participate in the annual Orchid Dinner, hosted by the New York Botanical Gardens at the Plaza Hotel. It may sound weird, but setting elaborate tablescapes and entertaining guests is one of my favorite things to do in life. Perhaps, this is a trait that I inherited from my late grandmother, Honey Rackman, whose home I grew up in. Her tables were always donned with extravagant China and crystals, and she entertained all with the most gracious smile.  Being invited to design one of the NYBG’s esteemed tables was an honor and a dream come true.

Annual NY Botanical Gardens Orchid Dinner

Last week, I had the honor and privilege to participate in the annual Orchid Dinner, hosted by the New York Botanical Gardens at the Plaza Hotel. It may sound weird, but setting elaborate tablescapes and entertaining guests is one of my favorite things to do in life. Perhaps, this is a trait that I inherited from my late grandmother, Honey Rackman, whose home I grew up in. Her tables were always donned with extravagant China and crystals, and she entertained all with the most gracious smile.  Being invited to design one of the NYBG’s esteemed tables was an honor and a dream come true.

I finally had the opportunity to collaborate at the annual Orchid Dinner with a dear friend of mine, the uber talented event designer and producer, Josh Spiegel, of Birch Event Designs. Together we created a bespoke, modern, and truly unique tablescape. Our tablescape featured my ‘Arc Linear’ tile in black & white as chargers, my newly launched ESC trademark butterfly napkin rings, and my wallpaper pattern ‘Pura Vida with Butterflies’ in black and pink, printed as the tablecloth. I complimented my designs with some of my favorite tablescape accoutrement from my own home –  ‘Eliza Stripe’ Lenox by Melli Mello, Moser Lavender Glass, CB2 Gold Cutlery. By far, the most impressive aspect of the table was the jaw-dropping, over-the-top, magnificent orchid centerpiece that was put together by Josh’s team in under three hours.

I need to give a humongous thank you to a number of people. First and foremost to my dear friend, Ahuva Levy from Battalion PR for recommending me to participate. I am forever grateful for this opportunity. To my unbelievable glam squad who made me look and feel beautiful even though I was sick as could be. Thanks to the uber talented Lisa Mitchell who did my hair and Dorit Gross for the amazing makeup. To the incredible Gracy Accad, who is the designer of mine and Rea’s magnificent dresses. Thank you to IV Drips who came to give me an IV infusion to rejuvenate me. Shoutout to Sanjay Kasliwal for the the magnificent emerald and diamond necklace that I never wanted to take off, and last but not least, a huge thank you to my favorite photographer Peter Koloff for capturing it all. The night was magical. It was a dream come true. I look forward to many more opportunities such as the annual Orchid Dinner. ​

One of the best parts of the evening was wining and dining with the incredible guests. Most particularly, the unbelievable women seated at my table. I had the editors from Town and Country, Guest of a Guest, Du Jour Magazine, and Avenue all seated by my side. The best part of it all is, I woke up the next morning to find my table and photograph headlining the Guest of a Guest recap of the dinner, followed by a mention in Avenue, WhitewallArt, Du Jour and THE NY TIMES SUNDAY STYLES. Sharing this occasion with my business partner, Rea and my friends who attended was really a dream come true.