Hats in the Garden Celebrates Paris in the Springtime

I suspect most of us would love to be in “Paris in the Springtime,” and nothing said it better than celebrating the 19th year of millinery fashion at the Naples Botanical Garden. On Wednesday, March 29th, amid its world-class flora and fauna, the Garden created a picture-perfect setting – “Springtime in Paris,” when everything is in full bloom.

The program included a champagne celebration, lunch under the Garden tent catered by the Ritz Carlton, and a one-of-a-kind runway fashion show showcasing Oscar de la Renta’s 2023 Spring Collection.

Shelly Stayer, the Hats Chair, gave a warm welcome and thanked everyone for attending. Stayer has chaired some of the highest profile fundraising endeavors in Florida and Wisconsin. Beyond business, Stayer’s passion is philanthropy – she founded the Shelly Stayer Shelter in 2018, providing a haven for victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse.

It was millinery magic with approximately 700 guests showcasing their couture hats designed with this event in mind. Stayer knew the kind of hat she wanted to wear and shared her vision with Marco’s couture milliner, Diane Shaggot of Hats To Di For. She described a crown like the type Cinderella’s evil step sisters wore and wanted it to match her purse. According to Diane, it was the job of a milliner to figure out how to create that vision.

Cathy Lubner wore the Eiffel Tower and according to Diane, millinery wire was utilized to create the structure and then covered with rhinestone netting creating the iconic grid pattern of the tower. Another client wearing an Oscar de la Renta dress with a tulip pattern decided to go with a simple tulip fascinator. Diane created the tulip with feathers and the leaves were created with millinery horsehair (not the real ones). This was a lightweight and easy-to-wear beautiful fascinator.

The winner of the “Most Chic” category, Cheryl Coleman, wore a snazzy pink and red striped buntal straw that Diane found in Paris and used vintage red braid to pop the color and silk flowers. The pleating technique added curves and glow to the design.

According to Naples Botanical Garden, this is the most successful Hat event in its 19-year history.

At a time when so much is happening in our world and as Southwest Florida is barely six months post-Hurricane Ian, some might find the fashion event on the frivolous side. As I gazed around the tent, I saw 700 hats making a statement to Protect Paradise.

Protecting Paradise is the focus of this year’s “Fund-a-Need 2023” drive, which will benefit the Garden’s efforts toward making a more resilient Southwest Florida. According to its mission, “hurricanes and toxic algae outbreaks have wreaked havoc on the region’s environment and hurt our economy. Plants play a key role in defending our shorelines, purifying our water, and buffering destructive winds. Our experts guide beach dune restoration, demonstrate how plants can reduce land-based contaminants, and study tree damage to determine the species and growing practices most likely to withstand hurricane-force winds. The Garden will share this knowledge with the community.”

Last year’s event raised $1.6 million, accounting for about 10 percent of the Garden’s operating budget. Though the financial tally was not ready in time for this article’s deadline, the proceeds from this year’s Hats will help sustain the Garden’s overall mission of “Protecting Paradise.”

For the fourth year in a row, William Raveis Real Estate was the presenting sponsor for the event.