\n
Spring showers brought out hats full of flowers \u2014 and not a single petal was out of place.<\/p>\n
A light rain couldn\u2019t dampen spirits at the famed Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon, affectionately known as \u201cThe Hat Lunch,\u201d on Wednesday, where the city\u2019s top socialites tipped their brims, raising a record-breaking $5.3 million for Central Park.<\/p>\n
Martha Stewart, who turned up at the garden party in a gold brocade coat topped with a vintage gold hat, reminisced about visiting the park with her father at just three-years-old.<\/p>\nMartha Stewart went for a gilded look with a gold vintage hat and brocade jacket for the Central Park Conservancy\u2019s \u201cHat Lunch.\u201d Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nStewart told us she has fond memories of going to the park with her father as a child. Angelina Katsanis for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cWe rode ponies in the pony ring when there were ponies here,\u201d she told us. \u201cWe would go into the lake in a rowboat. They used to rent a rowboat for a dollar a day. It was so fun.\u201d She added, \u201cWithout this park, New York would be horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\nFormer mayor Michael Bloomberg, spotted posing with a budding baby fashionista wearing giant wide-brimmed hat, is a regular at the annual f\u00eate hosted by the Central Park Conservancy\u2019s Women\u2019s Committee. <\/p>\n
\u201cI used to run all around the park. I\u2019m getting a little bit old for that,\u201d Bloomberg, 84, told us. <\/p>\nFormer NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, shown here posing with President & CEO of the Central Park Conservancy Betsy Smith, is a regular at the event. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nEven babies donned fabulous hats! Page Six<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Conservancy focuses on the parks maintenance, restoration, and architectural needs. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTea anyone? Rain didn\u2019t dampen guest\u2019s spirits. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cIt\u2019s one of the great parks in the world,\u201d he told us, noting he had been hanging out there since moving to the city in 1966. \u201cIt\u2019s a jewel and very valuable to New York City. People from all over the city come here. They have parks in their home areas, but this is an unique place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Feathers and florals ruled the day, with guests showing off elaborate fascinators. Fe Fendi, Muffie Potter Aston, Elyse Newhouse, Fiona Rudin, Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet, Emily Chen, Susan Magrino, Barbara Scott, Suzy Welch, Anne Harrison and Sharon Coplan were among the blossoming scene. Judy Hart Angelo and Janet Ross were honored.<\/p>\n
The well-heeled crowd could be heard debating the ultimate chicken-or-egg question: which came first, the dress or the hat?<\/p>\nBarbara Scott looked pretty in pink with Michelle Brazil showing off an adorable bird branch hat. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOne woman opted for a Marie Antoinette-style wig over a hat. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSharon McLean hot glue-gunned her own look. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAlice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet showed off her own look with a vintage hat she added flowers to. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nGuests showed off their creative side. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSocialite and philanthropist Gillian Miniter starts with the dress, in this case Oscar de la Renta, sending a pic to milliner Eric Javits, who creates a custom, surprise look. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe hat is always a surprise,\u201d the bridge champ tells us. \u201cI have no idea what it is. It shows up, and usually, he says, \u2018This is very delicate,\u2019 so he said not to open it until the morning of the luncheon. . . It\u2019s Christmas morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
But is it difficult to pin it on? The intricate hat also\u00a0\u201ccomes with a text with very strong directions,\u201d Miniter told us.<\/p>\nGillian Miniter\u2019s hat is always a surprise, made for her by Eric Javitz. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFe Fendi attended with her daughters Paola and Alessia. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMuffie Potter Aston and Elyse Newhouse went with a floral theme. Stephen Yang for NY Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe event raised over $5 million. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThe most important thing to remember is we raise money for a very important cause,\u201d Miniter said. \u201cEven though we look whimsical and fun, it\u2019s all serious women who are being very generous to Central Park. We raise a lot of money that goes directly to the operating budget.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While many of the women buy their hats, with some importing them from London where the fascinator reigns supreme, some also make them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shannon McLean, a former designer who now runs a factory,\u00a0created her towering floral look.<\/p>\nOne guest went with a butterfly look. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAnother had a pink Grecian urn number. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThere was no shortage of fascinating fascinators. Sonia Moskowitz Gordon\/ZUMA \/ SplashNews.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cIt took me two days. I hot glue gunned it all yesterday,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Spring showers brought out hats full of flowers \u2014 and not a single petal was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/crop-8918440.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/crop-8918440.jpg\")
<\/p>\n