An Italian-Inspired Afternoon of Fashion, Floral, and Philanthropy at Hats in the Garden!
On Friday, March 28th, Naples Botanical Garden hosted its 21st annual Hats in the Garden event. This year’s theme was “La Dolce Vita”, an Italian phrase translated to “The Sweet Life”. Sweet it was, from wine elegantly served on silver platters upon entering the Botanical Boardwalk to decadent desserts delivered to each guest before a fabulous fashion show, all supporting Naples Botanical Garden’s mission to conserve the plants and habitats of the tropics, cultivate beauty, offer knowledge, and inspire the protection of nature.
Embracing the plants and nature around the garden, this year’s theme tied in a warm green color scheme and drew inspiration from Italian culture incorporating elements of food, fashion, music, and ambiance. The vibrant floral attire of the guests provided a striking contrast to the event’s earthy tones, with an array of hats of all shapes and sizes adding additional pops of color!
As the champagne reception concluded, the attendees were ushered to the event tent for the luncheon portion of the afternoon. While navigating through dozens of tables, it was impossible not to admire how every detail perfectly embodied “La Dolce Vita”. Guests were transported to the Italian countryside with farm-to-table fresh planted ingredients, vine-ripe tomatoes, textured tablecloths, floral patterned napkins, antipasto displays, and wicker and natural accents. No detail was spared!
The event’s featured guest, Jenna Bush Hager, took the stage to welcome all and began the Fund-A-Need Presentation. A delicious Italian-inspired meal followed with entrees of caprese salad and eggplant steak with cavatelli pasta and stuffed chicken and finished off with dolce of lemon basil tart and stracciatella cheesecake.
The meal was quickly enjoyed in eager anticipation of the Etro Fashion Show, presented by the renowned Italian luxury fashion house.
It was incredible to witness hundreds of Naples locals coming together in such a beautiful setting to support Naples Botanical Garden. The Village Shops on Venetian Bay was thrilled to contribute to this cause as a Supporting Sponsor represented by our lovely boutique owners and managers – Connie Sims from Wildflower, Denise Johnston from À-Tout-Âge, Michele Diiulis from Sara Campbell, Pam Lawson from J.McLaughlin, Raimonda Childress from BU Club, and Jennifer and Nannette from Whispers of Naples.
