Vogue’s Lilah Ramzi-Goettemann was among attendees, an intrepid spectator beneath the wide brims. “Given the Met Gala whirlwind this week, I’ll admit I rather phoned it in—I didn’t have time to properly plan,” she says. “I pinned a Helena Simon poppy brooch to a Destree hat—the brand started in millinery, after all!—and called it a day, pairing it with a floaty 1950s chiffon dress. Fresh enough, but I certainly paled in comparison to the sheer inventiveness of the crowd.” Her favorite look was that of Alexandra E. Bell, the owner of Suzanne Couture Millinery: “which is the place to get a hat—an Upper East Side institution,” says Ramzi-Goettemann. Bell wore cream, black polka-dot vintage Oscar de la Renta dress. “It felt straight out of the 1960s—utterly chic, perfectly proportioned, and quietly fabulous,” she adds. I went up to her because I had to know who she was, and it turned out she’s the sister of Aran Bell, a principal at American Ballet Theatre. One of those perfect New York moments.” There was also a lily-of-the-valley hat worn made by CB Design Sanctuary and worn by Lizzi Longley: “It had a real Dior-esque romance to it.”
Martha Stewart shared her fond memories of visiting Central Park with her father as a child, riding ponies and going out on the lake in a rowboat for a dollar a day. She opted for a gold Libertine coat and a vintage hat she picked up at Arts and Ends in Northeast Harbor, Maine, which she adorned with a pink rose brooch by Helena Simon.
“I love seeing women ‘doll up’ in summer dresses and beautifully crafted hats,” says Stewart. “Everyone goes all out, and to get over 1400 women to do this is an extraordinary feat, and it is because Central Park is so important to all of us. I’ve gone for many years and always see something new and different.”
The Fendi family was also represented by Fe—in custom Emilia Wickstead—and daughters Alessia and Paola—in Emilia Wickstead and vintage Mary McFadden respectively. They explored Europe looking for their own chapeaux: Fe found her Tracey Hilley hat in London, and Alessia’s raffia Patrizia Fabbri hat was sourced in Rome. Paola found a Eugenia Kim hat in her mother’s closet. The Fendis all, of course, opted for Fendi shoes and bags. “Walking down the steps and seeing the flurry of color is such a wonderful experience. There are so many works of art!” says Paola.
Alice + Olivia founder and designer Stacey Bendet wore her own Adley poppy dress with a matching poppy embroidered bomber, which she paired with a sculptural vintage hat customized with more poppies. “I loved supporting our godmother Judy Angelo, who was being honored, and it was so fun to see so many women wearing Alice + Olivia,” she says. Her favorite chapeau? Marie-Noelle Pierce’s blue bird and floral adorned headpiece.
