Subway references and skyline silhouettes translated New York’s grit and grandeur into a beautiful nod to nature. Getty Images for The New York Bo
On Thursday evening, the New York Botanical Garden took over the Plaza Hotel for its much-beloved Orchid Dinner, transforming the gilded Midtown landmark and its historic ballroom into an immersive world of florals celebrating New York City. The affair, as always, honored the year’s annual exhibition of orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory—in 2026, Mr. Flower Fantastic’s “Concrete Jungle.” The anonymous artist behind the Orchid Show fuses high floristry with pop art and street culture iconography. Mr. Flower Fantastic often wears a mask to conceal his identity, telling the New York Times that anonymity is “honestly the most authentic way to share my work.”
The atmosphere was unmistakably New York, with subway signage and sly city references woven into the tablescapes, each arrangement spilling over and piled high like a skyscraper. Guests arrived in flower-patterned gowns and suits, a nod to the night’s botanical decadence, with some going so far as to sport voluminous leafy halos and intricate flower crowns. The real stars of the evening were, however, the rows of rare orchids up for auction, selected, as is customary, by the New York Botanical Garden’s curators and beautifully spotlit in delicate brown pots. Grand dame of entertaining Martha Stewart was rumored to have purchased one for $300, though some fetched as much as $550, with proceeds supporting the NYBG’s research, education and outreach missions.
Martha Stewart visits the orchid sale. Getty Images for The New York Bo
After the cocktail hour, Observer spotted philanthropist Sharon Jacob, cultural patrons Steven R. Swartz and Tina Swartz, director Kevin Cornish, supermodel Anne V, actor and singer Alex Newell, jeweler Emily P. Wheeler and artist Sara Arno among the flower-loving revelers. The evening was chaired by philanthropists Maureen K. Chilton and Richard L. Chilton, Susan Matelich and George Matelich, Allison Carmichael and Trent Carmichael. Christopher Griffin, a.k.a. Plant Kween, looked particularly resplendent in head-to-toe jewel-toned florals that competed for attention with the towering floral arrangements that paid tribute to New York City iconography.
A delightful dinner leaned into the floristry theme: napkins cinched with green and yellow vines and a three-course menu—salad, light cod and a chocolate dessert—constructed to resemble delicate flowers. At around 9 p.m., as DJ Runna started his set, guests began drifting from their tables toward the dance floor. “They’re moving the party really fast, it’s good,” publisher Joan Jedell remarked. Within minutes, most revelers had vanished behind the floral skyscrapers, leaving an empty, magical garden in their wake.
Anne V
Anne V. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Christopher Griffin a.k.a. Plant Kween
Christopher Griffin a.k.a. Plant Kween. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Alex Newell
Alex Newell. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Joseph Augello and Tiffany Skilling
Joseph Augello and Tiffany Skilling. Getty Images for The New York Bo
George Matelich, Susan Matelich and Raymond Vargas
George Matelich, Susan Matelich and Raymond Vargas. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Sharon Jacob
Sharon Jacob. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Kevin Cornish and Sara Arno
Kevin Cornish and Sara Arno. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Amy Goldman Fowler and Cary Fowler
Amy Goldman Fowler and Cary Fowler. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Marilyn Kirschner
Marilyn Kirschner. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Avalon Ashley Bellos
Avalon Ashley Bellos. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Emily Wheeler
Emily Wheeler. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Steven R. Swartz and Tina Swartz
Steven R. Swartz and Tina Swartz. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Isabel Leeds
Isabel Leeds. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Elizabeth Mirante and Arthur Mirante
Elizabeth Mirante and Arthur Mirante. Getty Images for The New York Bo
Molly Ford and Romane Recalde
Molly Ford and Romane Recalde. Getty Images for The New York Bo