Place cards at The New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Dinner; table design by Sebastian Li.

The weather in New York this past Tuesday night was good for staying home but that didn’t stop many intrepid New Yorkers from getting over to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Time Warner complex on Columbus Circle for The New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Dinner. Billed as one the city’s premier winter social events, The Orchid Dinner is simply breathtaking with every table adorned by an orchid centerpiece created by one of New York City’s top designers. Gala Chairs were Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Davidson, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Royce, and Mr. and Mrs. John M. Sullivan, Jr., Dara Caponigro, Editor-in-Chief, Veranda, and Fernanda M. Kellogg, Chairman of the Board, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, served as Chairs. Carolyn Englefield, Director of Decoration and Special Projects, Veranda, was Decorations Chair. The Underwriters were Tiffany & Co., BNY Mellon, and Veranda.

This evening raised $600,000 to benefit the Garden’s world renowned and highly celebrated orchid collection and research program. The ongoing generosity of the Botanical Garden’s friends are so crucial, as it helps the Garden continue its mission of public education, scientific research, and stewardship of its 250-acre site. The Dinner precedes the opening of The Orchid Show: On Broadway in the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the Botanical Garden which runs from March 5th through April 25th, as orchids take center stage with a dramatic backdrop of iconic elements of Broadway architecture to display 5,000 fascinating specimens, designed by Tony award-winning set designer Scott Pask, image maker Drew Hodges, and Botanical Garden curators.

Rod Winterrowd

Stephen Elrod

Mary Davidson

Oliver Brown and Suzanne Johnson

Bunny Williams and John Rosselli

Campion Platt

Melinda Manning

Marcy Masterson

Timothy Whealon and Sara Klug

Sara Bengur and Dara Caponigro

Dara Caponigro, Carolyn Englefield, and Fernanda Kellogg

Pamela Deque, Sarah Story, and Jessica Hawkins-Harroon

Louise Hirschfeld Cullman and Lewis Cullman

Kirk Henckels and friend

John Rosselli, Kitty Hawks and Juan Montoya

Linda Margold, Martha Stewart, and Buck Margold

Richard Lambertson, David Handy, and Dan Dahl

Carmen and John Thain, and Marjorie Rosen

Kaitlin O'Connor, Katie Madden, Ashley Troccoli, and Samantha Cosentino

Adria de Haume and Juan Montoya

Sylvester and Gillian Miniter

Connie and Hugh Hildesley, and Eliot Nolan

Iliana Moore and Elena Patterson

Silena van der Geest

Alexandra Wagle, Alexandra Porter, and Atossa Vakil

Steven Gambrel

Leslie Jones and Mavin Davidson

Sebastian Li

Angelika Frantzen and Ilene Johnson

Charlotte Burton and Richard Davis

Lilyann Shlemon, Adria de Haume, and Olivier Giugni

Melissa Kanoni and Jill Joyce

Diane Katzin and Gregory Long

Andrew Thomas, Laura Vinroot Poole, and John Lupton

Gretchen Riley and Marcy Masterson

Lisa and Philip Gorriban

Deborah Buck and Jaime Jimenez

Diane Jennings and David Handy

Roric Tobin and Geoffrey Bradfield

Barbara and Donald Tober

Jean and Martin Shafiroff

Coleman and Susan Burke

Jennifer Rominiecki

David Scott and Mark Rose

Carolyn Englefield and David Scott

Kitty Hawks and Stephen Orr

Chuck Niemeth and Anne Niemeth

Charlotte Benepe and Adrian Benepe

Deborah Royce, Fernanda Kellogg, and Dara Caponigro

This past week, Macy's held a reception to salute fashion icon Eunice W. Johnson and her legendary EBONY FASHION FAIR, the world's largest traveling fashion show. Macy's will be unlocking Ms. Johnson's private archives for the next month in various locations across the country, bringing to life the spectacular couture and decades of designer looks that continue to inspire new generations of designers.

Terry Lundgren, Desiree Rogers and Linda Johnson Rice

Sam Fine and Iasha Rivers

Keith Major and Amy Dubois Barnett

Laura Smalls and Desiree Rogers

Macy*s guest receives make over from Fashion Fair experts

Audrey Smaltz and Linda Johnson Rice

Reginald Canal, Darlene Gillard, and Gary Lampley President B.R.A.G

Michelle Miller, Linda Johnson Rice, Marc Morial, and Jocelyn Taylor

Amy DuBois Barnett, Sam Fine, June Ambrose, and Keith Major

Carol Sutton Lewis and Linda Johnson Rice

Laura Smalls and Edoris Head

Lisa Price and Lauren Branch

Linda Johnson Rice, Laura Smalls, and Bethann Hardison

The American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) presented its coveted Bob Marley Award to Suzanne de Passe at its 14th Annual Legacy Awards Gala on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at the Pierre Hotel. Ms. de Passe is the first female to be awarded this honor. The AFUWI Legacy Awards gala raises much needed funds to support scholarship programs at the University of the West Indies (UWI) located in 14 caribbean nations. This is the organizations' premier fundraising event in North America. Star Jones served as the mistress of ceremonies.

Janet Rolle with honorees Suzanne DePasse and Brenda Blackmon

Dr. E. Nigel Harris, honorees Brenda Blackmon, Escoffery and Jeanine Liburd, and Dr. and Debra Lee

Herb Wilson, Star Jones, Jeanine Liburd, Hon. David N. Dinkins, and Paula Madison Walker

Hon. David N. Dinkins, Janet Rolle, and Michael Flanigan

Janet Rolle, Herb Wilson, and Elinor Tatum

Janet Rolle, Debra Lee, and Marva Smalls

Iasha Rivers, Ty Stone-Adams, Edward Goldberg, and Sharne Jackson

Faye Rodney, Dr. Marcella Maxwell, Paula Madison Walker, and Edward Goldberg

The POSH Tea will honored The Lighthouse Founders and their Descendants at The Plaza’s Palm Court this past Monday. The Lighthouse was Founded in 1905 by Winifred and Edith Holt, and quickly became a pioneer in the field of Vision Rehabilitation. Those who attended The Tea include: Elisa Miller-Out (descendant of the Tiffany Family), Emily Frick (descendant of the Frick Family), Mr. Tom Gimbel (descendant of the Gimbel Family), Whitney Douglas (descendant of the Pulitzer Family), Victoria Donaldson (descendant of the Pulitzer Family), Sam Hopkins (descendant of the Holt Family), Lisa Pulitzer Love (descendant of the Pulitzer Family), Lisa Bailey Musgrave (descendant of the Holt Family) and Mrs. Douglas Auchincloss (descendant of the Auchincloss Family). Other guests included Iris Apfel, Somers Farkas, Arlene Dahl, Bruce and Juliana T. Gilbert, Jo Hallingby, Marylyn Maklin, Jean Shafiroff and Nell Yperifanos.

Mark Ackerman

Steve Harmison and Shirley Benfante

The Plaza’s Palm Court

For the past 40 years, the POSH annual sale has New York’s leading fashion fundraiser featuring clothes and accessories from top designers such as Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Douglas Hannant, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Manolo Blahnik, Coach, Burberry and Nicole Miller Theory, Tracey Reese, among others. For the first time, the sale will take plaza at The Plaza on May 11, 2011.

Jean Giamonco, Steve Harmison, and Shirley Benfante

Alele Black and Alexander Peters

Hope Kessler and Lauren Roberts

Arlene Dahl, Somers Farkas, and Iris Apfel

Carole Holmes McCarthy and Susan Magrino

Sarah Paul, Marc Rosen, and Carole Holmes McCarthy

Shelley Parker and Kathy Gantz

Carole Holmes McCarthy and Bruce Gilbert

Anna Bergman

Lauren Laurence and Arlene Dahl

Marc Rosen, Jean Shafiroff, and Tom Gimbel

Pablo Manzoni

Peggy Kaufman and Leslie Gottlieb

Maude and Louisa Peters

Somers Farkas and Sharon Handler

Liza Bailey Musgrave

Sam Hopkins, Whitney Douglass, and Tom Gimbel

Sam Hopkins, Liza Baily, and Dan Smith

Barbara Tober

On Tuesday, January 25th, on the occasion of President Obama's Address to Congress, Celerie Kemble and Boykin Curry and the Atlantic hosted a dinner and discussion (after the address) with 50 New Yorkers at Le Cirque. The Atlantic's National Correspondent and former State of the Union speechwriter Jim Fallows led the commentary and discussion.

Jay Agresta, Stephen Cannon, and Herbert Werner

Brian Radigan and David Haskell

Linda Douglass and Dr. Judith Rodin

Jay Lauf, Gayle King, and Elliot Gerson

Ewa Werner, Kelli Agresta, and Ann Cannon

Cynthia Brill and Beth Curry

Richard Meier and Ravenel Curry

Christopher Meloni and Sherman Williams

Georgette Mosbacher and Peggy Siegal

Deb and Jim Fallows

Boykin Curry and Celerie Kemble

Photographs by Margot Jordan; PatrickMcMullan.com; Rob Rich (Lighthouse)

Click here [1] for NYSD Contents