Royal flower supplier to be featured for Antiques in the Gardens
Antiques at the Gardens will be a royal affair this year.
Shane Connolly, who directed the flowers for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011, will give a lecture and sign books at the event, as well as Mario Buatta, “The Prince of Chintz.”
Connolly has held a Royal Warrant of Appointment to HRH Prince of Wales since 2006, and New York-based interior decorator Buatta’s clients include Barbara Walters, Mariah Carey and members of the Ford and Forbes families.
Event co-chairs Katie Baker Lasker and Barbara Burton wanted to make this year’s Antiques at the Gardens an event to remember in celebration of 50 years of the Botanical Gardens.
Gala in the Gardens, a black tie event, will kick off Antiques at the Gardens on Thursday, Oct. 2. Attendees will be treated to a preview of the designer showcases, dinner catered by Kathy G. and dancing to live music.
“All of the designers and dealers are there, so everybody gets an opportunity to meet one another and celebrate before the show starts,” said Lasker.
Appealing the under 40 crowd, 40 guests will join Margot Shaw, editor of Flower magazine, for Tastebuds, in which speakers Paige Albright of Paige Albright Orientals and Jennifer Boles of blog The Peak of Chic will share tips on how to express personal style. Lunch will be provided by The Pantry.
At the general event, for the third year in a row, tastemakers will curate themed areas in order to showcase their talent and ideas at the event.
Previous themes have included “Return to Mecca,” “Fireside Chat” and “A Year in Provence.”
“They have to comply with the theme that’s been given, so it’s challenging and fun,” Lasker said. “They enjoy it because they’re enthusiastic and they want to display their wares that are going to be for sale.”
For many areas, multiple designers and architects will work together to curate their space.
Kinsey Marable of Charleston, who has created private libraries for clients such as Oprah Winfrey, will create a library space with popular lamp designer Christopher Spitzmiller, whose lamps can be found in the White House.
Interior designer Ware Porter of Ware and Co. in Mountain Brook Village will be working with Marable and Spitzmiller on the showcase.
Richard Keith Langham, a New York-based decorator from Alabama, has been the show ambassador for the past four years.
“It’s great that he comes back to Alabama to highlight and support this show,” Burton said.
According to Lasker, Antiques at the Garden has begun to attract guests of all ages from outside of the Jefferson County, including people from Nashville, Memphis and Mobile.
“I think last year we had a real increase in the younger generation that came,” said Burton. “I think our tastemakers brought in the younger generation with more emphasis on decorative arts as well as antiques.”
Since 2006, Antiques at the Gardens has raised more than $2 million for the Botanical Gardens.
For more information and updates about Antiques at the Gardens, visit bbgardens.org/antiques or call 414-3950.