Last night, Phillip Lim and Hennessy joined forces once again to host their annual Lunar New Year dinner. This time, to usher in the Year of the Snake, the festivities took place at Coqodaq, the Flatiron District’s premiere fried chicken eatery that’s become a hot spot for the fashion crowd.

“The snake represents a time of rebirth,” Lim told guests, including Prabal Gurung, Kim Shui, Peter Do, and Laura Kim. “A renewal, a transformation, and the passing of all that doesn’t serve us anymore. You can be reborn into a frequency that resonates more to your authentic self. And I believe everyone here has the courage and the superpower to do just that—to shed and transform into anything that you desire, because, as a gentle reminder, everything we wish for is on the other side of our own courage to transform.” The metaphor was a fitting one, seeing as the designer recently stepped down from his role as creative director of his eponymous brand, 3.1 Phillip Lim.

The night kicked off with Hennessy’s Lunar New Year cocktail, cleverly dubbed “The Snake,” served alongside caviar tartlets. A lion dance performance by Chinatown Young Lions preceded a three-course dinner featuring the restaurant’s signature dishes paired with Hennessy X.O’s specialty drink, “The Serpent.”

The event also highlighted Hennessy’s Lunar New Year collaboration with Chinese designer Shuting Qiu. Her limited-edition collection, inspired by themes of “renewal and positive transformation,” features elements of brocade patterns and snake symbolism as a nod to the holiday’s significance.

Scroll through to see the moments you missed.