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"  Last Friday, celebrating its 11th year as one of the NY Botanical Garden&amp;#039;s most successful fundraisers, the Winter Wonderland Ball took place on the grounds of the Bronx-based garden and drew a crowd that included, among several hundred others, some of fashion&amp;#039;s most familiar faces.  From the moment they entered the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and walked into the tropical tree-lined Palm Dome, be-gowned and black tied guests were greeted by a spray of flashbulbs, trays of aperitifs, and enough SVEDKA* stations to keep everyone&amp;#039;s TGIF mood in check. Sponsored this year by Saks Fifth Avenue, the Ball, whose crowd could easily have been costumed by the fashion forward department store, ushered in the early holiday season with great food (beet salad and mini mousse!), great party music (&amp;quot;I feel like I&amp;#039;m at a wedding!&amp;quot; proclaimed PR maven and benefit committee member Bettina Prentice) and without question, great fashion. &amp;quot;Those shoes!&amp;quot; I overheard a woman squeal, in reference to model Anne V&amp;#039;s Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain zippered short boots. &amp;quot;Did you see that jacket?&amp;quot; another gasped, in clear awe, at an early-&amp;#039;90s inspired multi-colored sequined blazer atop a fitted black mini that wouldn&amp;#039;t have been out of place at the evening&amp;#039;s Boom Boom Room after-party. Though complemented by a few edgy minis and sparkly sheaths (raising hand), most took the more traditional approach, opting for frothy floor-sweepers in the evening&amp;#039;s winter-white, silver, and blue color scheme. Designer gowns from J. Mendel, Erin Fetherston, Bottega Veneta, Badgley Mischka, and Carlos Miele were all in attendance.  While getting to see runway pieces in person and on women who might as well be fit-models is, for me, just as\u2014if not more\u2014exciting than bumping into Suri Cruise at a Midtown Le Pain Quotidien (still waiting for that, however), most everyone in attendance had more on their minds than the structured necklines I spent the evening admiring. In addition to the spectacular backdrop of the Conservatory and the nostalgic Applied Imagination designed model train show (in its 18th year at the Garden), there was of course, the cause: educational programs for children. Focused specifically on underprivileged children in the Bronx, proceeds from the Winter Wonderland Ball will ensure kids of all ages will have the opportunity to take part in educational, fun activities familiarizing them with nature and science.  A great cause, a fantastic locale, and a visual candy shop for the fashion lover\u2014it&amp;#039;s no wonder the Winter Wonderland Ball is one of the most anticipated pre-holiday events of the season.    The most fashionable Winter Wonderland this side of the season (clockwise from top left): model Anne V and designer Yigal Azrou\u00EBl decked out in the designer&amp;#039;s finest; one of the pretty place settings; Vena Cava&amp;#039;s Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai show off a pair of stunning self-designed gowns; the lit-up miniature bridge welcomed guests from the cocktail party to the sit-down dinner; photographers snapping away; guests enjoying a pre-dinner drink adjacent to the Paul Busse-designed Holiday Train Show in the conservatory. Photos: courtesy of The NY Botanical Gardens and your author *the Swedish vodka company provided additional support for the event  Follow ELLE on Twitter "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/a3276/the-ny-botanical-garden-goes-winter-wonderland-1456/>