Carlos Mota brought the flower power to the Mercer last night with the launch of his new book, Flowers: Chic & Cheap. Some of New York's top designers and tastemakers showed up to show their support of the popular stylist, and his flowery preferences in decoration.

"Carlos decorated my apartment for Elle Decor, and he kept saying, 'I need color, color!'" recalled Peter Som, lovingly imitating Mota's Venezuelan accent. "Color with a 'C' and a 'K,'" Mota added.

Perhaps the best thing about flowers is their universality: everyone has a favorite, and a story to share. Mota's book takes sophisticated styling and makes it available to everyone, using flowers from their backyard or the market. Asked if he had a favorite example from his book, Mota pointed to the cover. "It is a teapot and just two peonies," he explained, showing that you didn't need a hundred flowers or a lot of money to make something chic.

 Tory Burch (who loves peonies, as well as poppies) had been excited to have Mota contribute a special Mother's Day video on her blog. Waris Ahluwalia, who has two movies coming out in June (Lo Sono L'Amore and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead) told us dahlias are his favorite flower, and he wishes people would give him flowers more. He also has a thing for palm trees, which he keeps in his office. When he chooses flowers as gifts, he prefers not to mix kinds, or at least keep the look in the same tonal family.

Co-host Genevieve Jones, who was wearing fish earrings of her own designs, also wasn't a fan of the mix and match look in her floral arrangements, and for a good reason. "I like to make my own. I don't like to mix flowers, because then they all die at different times." But she wouldn't necessarily reject such an arrangement. "I like it when people come over with flowers, even if they're like blue roses from the deli, or green carnations. I just love the thought."

Did she have a specific kind she liked to get? "Anything, I would love the flowers that they picked in their backyard... in New York." Well, Flowers: Cheap & Chic can help you step up your deli flower action into something beautiful and memorable, and on a smart dime too.