The women who have planned the Young Fellows of the Frick Collection’s ball tonight are ostensibly the stars of the evening, but there is one star brighter: the designer who is dressing them, Angel Sanchez.

Mr. Sanchez, a couture designer whose gowns are sold in Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, did not have the financial backing to present a fashion show in New York during Fashion Week last month. As the sponsor of the Frick Collection ball, he thinks he has found an even greater opportunity. “It’s true I don’t get to decide on makeup and hair, but I like that,” Mr. Sanchez said last week in his showroom. “I am excited to see how these very fashionable women decide to wear my dresses.”

From a business point of view, he just may get more mileage than he would from a show. Having the young, chic Fellows photographed in his gowns may bring him more respect, press coverage, and store orders than a show.

In terms of a backdrop, the Frick’s galleries certainly trump those of the tents in Bryant Park. “There is no seated dinner at this party, which means the energy is high all evening. Everyone walks around, admiring these beautiful paintings and dresses,” Mr. Sanchez said.

Tonight is the culmination of a process that started in December, when the event chairwomen chose the theme the “Hunt Ball,” based on the George Stubbs special exhibition that went on view February 14.

The next step was bringing in a designer to serve as a sponsor, which entails a cash donation and dressing the event’s leading ladies and even a few members of the Frick’s staff. Some women do buy his dresses — after all, Mr. Sanchez’s seamstresses do custom fitting.

“Three of the chairwomen knew him well and called him during a brainstorming session,” the Frick’s special events coordinator, Colleen Tierney said.

Mr. Sanchez immediately agreed. Since he had not yet started designing his fall collection, he decided to do so using the paintings and the ball’s theme as his inspiration — though not literally.

“Hunting isn’t feminine, but at the same time it can be chic and elegant,” Mr. Sanchez said. The connection to Stubbs and hunting is in the colors and the mix of soft materials with hard, masculine elements, such as leather as metallic beading.

Tonight, honorary chairwoman Marina Rust Connor is wearing a navy gown with a bow on the front. Chairwoman Tinsley Mortimer will be in a short dress with mink around the bottom. Chairwoman Lydia Fenet has chosen a dark green chiffon gown with a leather bodice. Chairwoman Elisabeth Saint-Amand will appear in a champagne-colored gown with fluted back. Committee member Gillian Miniter has chosen a brown gown edged with toile-covered beads.

As Mr. Sanchez described these decisions, it was clear he was enamored with the style and beauty of the women who will be wearing them. Indeed, partnerships between fashion brands and fund-raising events often hinge on the relationships socialites have with designers.

“The luxury brands aren’t getting involved because of me,” the director of development at the New York Botanical Garden, Timothy Landi, said. He noted that Cristina Greeven Cuomo was the broker of Escada’s sponsorship of the garden’s winter ball.

With the number of events increasing, competition is fierce. Designers are more often coming in at the last minute, at lower sponsorship levels. Bill Blass signed on to the School of American Ballet benefit on Monday just a few weeks ago; Rachel Roy did the same for the American Museum of Natural History’s winter ball last month.

In this context, Mr. Sanchez’s commitment is above and beyond — though he did find the time to pick out an outfit for himself, a dark gray Dolce & Gabbana suit.

agordon@nysun.com