Philanthropist Ashley Lauren Fisher, owner of Pazzo Pazzo Restaurant in Morris County, recently hosted an autumn tea-party gathering to celebrate fellow inspirational women in business. Mary Dougherty, founder of Women in Business and wife of Morristown mayor Tim Dougherty, was the guest of honor.
The afternoon event, hosted in Ashley Lauren’s historic Morristown home, included formal place settings with china, silver, floral fabrics and lace, all coordinated by David Ellis Catering. Floral centerpieces were created by the incomparable Laura Clare. In traditional English style, most of the ladies wore hats and gloves, adding a special element of whimsy to the outdoor fete.
Among the 100 guests were nationally prominent females including Catherine Saxton, owner The Saxton Group Public Relations in Manhattan; Celia DeHuff, landscape architect for Hedges in the Garden State; and Cindy Beradino, womens lacrosse ace tournament director for New Jersey.
Consummate hostess Ashley Lauren, who suffered a permanent spinal-cord injury at age 23, is a passionate supporter of several foundations and is a member of the Christopher and Dana Reeve honorary committee. Originally from Montville, she established Discovery Through Design and is responsible for raising more than a million dollars for spinal-cord research. She has devoted time to organizations such as Bonnie Brae, NJ Aids Services and Community Soup Kitchen. Ashley Lauren has personally garnered worldwide attention for her charitable work (including a world-class fashion show in which all models navigated the runway in wheelchairs) and she has been featured in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, The New Yorker as well as New Jersey Monthly.
I also want to give a shout-out to Ashley Lauren’s four-star Morristown restaurant, Pazzo Pazzo (best Pappardelle alla Bolognese ever), which has welcomed celebrity diners such as Patti LaBelle, Tony Bennett, Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, Darius Rucker and various New Jersey Jets team members.