<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"    Michelle Harper; Photo: Patrick McMullan   The New York Botanical Garden is always a feast for the eyes but there&amp;#039;s something especially enchanting about the blossom metropolis on the night of its annual Winter Wonderland Ball. Be it the fantastical gowns floating across the dance floor or the event&amp;#039;s proximity to Christmas, there&amp;#039;s a certain air of magic which keeps its loyal coterie of boldface New Yorkers coming back for more, as they did this past Friday night. The wondrous evening began as it always does, with cocktails inside the magnificent Palm Dome\u2014which currently houses the 21st annual Holiday Train Show. The exhibit boasts a dizzying array of old-fashioned model trains winding through landscapes and landmarks\u2014from St. Patrick&amp;#039;s Cathedral to Yankee Stadium.   The soir\u00E9e continued with a sit-down, candlelit dinner and eventually progressed to the dance floor. We caught up with some of the night&amp;#039;s most fashionable attendees about their choice of gown, the fundraiser&amp;#039;s cause, and what it is about the Winter Wonderland Ball that makes it such a unique affair. In a sea of white gowns, Michelle Harper stood out in head-to-toe black. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m wearing Cavalli,&amp;quot; she told us. &amp;quot;I had seen in their collection that they did something kind of gothic, and I thought that would be fun...I wanted to bring a little downtown.&amp;quot; This isn&amp;#039;t the fashion muse&amp;#039;s first time at the gardens. &amp;quot;Ever since I was young, my mom used to bring us [to the New York Botanical Garden]\u2014especially around the holidays,&amp;quot; she recalled. &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s nothing like it, and I feel blessed that we all get to have this resource-it&amp;#039;s totally democratic. Anyone can come and enjoy.&amp;quot; While it wasn&amp;#039;t Byrdie Bell&amp;#039;s first time attending either, the night was particularly nostalgic as it marked her first trip home since moving to sunny Los Angeles. She was outfitted in a ruffled winter-white Max Mara gown from the bridal collection, and she marveled at the Holiday Train Show. &amp;quot;I love the trains,&amp;quot; she explained. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s funny because I was reading Neil Young&amp;#039;s autobiography and his first chapter is about trains. I think it&amp;#039;s such an interesting fantasy world to re-visit. As a child I understood it, but later in life it&amp;#039;s totally different.&amp;quot; Another attendee hailing from L.A. was Monique Lhuillier, who was new to the Wonderland Ball. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s very exciting because this is my first time at the Botanical Gardens,&amp;quot; she revealed. The designer opted for a white one-shouldered gown of her own, but only after she knew everyone she was dressing was taken care of. &amp;quot;They always say, &amp;#039;The shoemaker doesn&amp;#039;t have any shoes,&amp;#039;&amp;quot; she joked. &amp;quot;I wanted to make sure everyone was set. Nobody was wearing white, so I said, &amp;#039;Okay, I guess I&amp;#039;ll wear white!&amp;#039;&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/culture/news/a22507/new-york-botanical-garden-winter-wonderland-ball-2012/>