Lotusland + Valentino Celebrate Avant Garden
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Montecito’s Lotusland was in full flourish for its annual “Lotusland Celebrates” gala on July 29.
“I’ve gone for the last fifteen years and have always looked forward to it being the event of the summer in Santa Barbara,” said C‘s Founder, Editorial Director and CEO, Jennifer Smith Hale, of the affair, which helps keep the 37-acre property in bloom.
For it’s 22nd season, the Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation tapped Smith Hale as the event’s first-ever honorary chair.
“Whenever you visit these magical gardens, you know you’re going to have some sort of fantasy moment,” she said. So without hesitation, she recruited Valentino to collaborate as a partner. “I’m always inspired when I see one of their collections,” she explains. “When I brought the opportunity to them they loved it and created three different presentations in my favorite gardens: the Lotus Garden, Topiary Garden and Modern Cactus garden.”
Their combined efforts resulted in the aptly named “Avant Garden” theme for this year’s gala. The scene—a lavish green landscape anchored by magenta florals and tables swathed in lush blue hues—came courtesy of Smith Hale’s vision along with the entire Lotusland committee, event producer Alice Ryan, co-chairs Rachel Wryan and Belle Hahn Cohen, Rrivre Works and Bon Fortune. Flocking to it was a gleaming guest list boasting C‘s summer cover star Zoe Saldana, who was joined by other bold-faced names including Camilla Belle, Elizabeth Hammer, Nacho Figueras, Delfina Blaquier, and nearly 500 others. Besides the entertaining exhibitions by the Italian fashion house and a beautiful dinner in the garden, the crowd managed to raise $400,000 to help the famed California garden continue to flourish.
Of the fete, Smith Hale recalled her favorite moment: an ode to her late stepfather and honorary lifetime board member of Lotusland, Michael Towbes.
“As you transitioned through the different fashion exhibitions, there were performances that were done by different arts organizations from Santa Barbara in honor of my stepfather. He was a very big supporter of these charities,” says Smith Hale, who was especially touched by one act. “State Street Ballet danced within this long alley of trees en route to the final fashion presentation. It’s a beautiful memory that I will carry with me.”
By: Ericka Franklin
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