It was my seventh season participating in one singular sensation….the DIFFA Picnic by Design fundraiser that celebrates design, food and fun to help further the fight against HIV/AIDS. This years soiree was hosted on the Lounge and Terrace at the Viacom building in Times Square inviting 20 top tier designers and brands to creatively re-imagine a staple in New York City culture… Broadway shows! Guests viewed and bid on more than 20 Broadway-themed baskets filled with over-the-top experiences and accoutrements. Donations raised an impressive $60k for organizations across the country working to support those affected by HIV and AIDS concluded Executive Director Dawn Roberson.
Inspired by the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen, my basket design imitates the paradox of a world where we feel so interconnected yet so isolated. The show is about a socially anxious teenager who tells a big lie that spirals out of control. On social media, we are all looking and seeing how much fun everyone else is having. The basket plays off the main character’s striped shirt who is looking thru this virtual window.
I cant thank enough the following brands who donated the following items below: Robert Allen, Lee Jofa, Eileen Fisher,Horne, and Abalon! Custom Made stage set basket made with Robert Allen Inc donated fabric Stellar Solid Indigo fabric. Custom made blanket: Kravet/Lee Jofa donated fabric Periwinkle #400-50, (2) Custom Made fabric setting: Kravet donated fabric #4005-5 (2) Custom made napkins: Eileen Fisher donated fabric Indigo scraps Plates: CB2 Porcelain Cups: Abalon by Anna Bridgewater are actually porcelain candles! Aret they gorgeous with the indigo and gold. Thanks Anna! Cutlery: Horne Goa Gold Plated and Resin Blue handles Authentic Playbill: Dear Evan Hansen playbill signed by original cast CD and Book: Dear Evan Hansen
Don’t you love the combination of Gold and Indigo? The Pollack porcelain pot handmade by Anna Bridgewater is a stunner. Guests were going gaga over the Horne cutlery too featuring blue handles and gold. Thank you to Doug Garfinkle, Vice President of Kravet showrooms for purchasing my Dear Evan Hansen basket!
Thank you to all Picnic by Design sponsors: KBIS, Kravet Inc/Lee Jofa, Robert Allen Duralee Group, Blanco, Catskill Provisions,Hunter Douglass, Interior Design, POZ Magzine, Studio TK/Teknion, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.