DIFFA BY DESIGN stole the hearts of many last week. The biggest fundraiser of the year for DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) took over 20,000 square feet at Center 415 from March 24-26, beginning with a star-studded Gala Thursday night, co-hosted by architect David Rockwell and Interior Design Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen, featuring special guest Tony Award®-winning actor Jane Krakowski, and performances by acclaimed Broadway star and Co-founder of Tony Award®-Winning Broadway Advocacy Coalition Amber Iman and cast members from Broadway hit Company (Bobby Conte, Claybourne Elder, and Manu Narayan).
Other standout moments included a DIFFA NIGHTS dance party on Friday, a design-industry insider auction with great finds, a couture-filled pop-up shop in partnership with Repurpose and curated by Robert Verdi, riveting panels and activations including weaving with renowned artist Suzanne Tick, and of course, 21 stunning vignettes designed by leading creatives from Rockwell Group, Carl Hansen & Søn, Gensler, and Steelcase, to name just a few.
The three-day event with a theme of coming back together was a massive success, gathering over 2,500 attendees and raising over $540,000 to help those across the country struggling with HIV/AIDS, homelessness, food scarcity, and mental health issues.
Thank you to all who came and helped raise awareness for DIFFA…this beloved organization has played an important role in the community for over 20 years…Now, with an expanded mission and an energized design community, we are looking forward to granting the funds and planning our next industry event. diffa.org
Event Photography: Marion Curtis | StarPix
Installation Photography: Alan Barry
Installations:
Corey Damen Jenkins for Benjamin Moore
@coreydamenjenkins @BenjaminMoore
Gensler + Knoll + EvensonBest
@GenslerNYC @MillerKnoll @EvensonBest
Teknion | LUUM | Studio TK + Vocon + Officeworks
@Teknion @LuumTextiles @StudioTKSocial @Vocondesign @officeworksinc
Suzanne Tick @suzannetick
WB Wood + TPG Architecture + Eventscape + Haworth
@WB.wood @TPGArchitecture @Eventscape @Haworthinc
Interior Design
@interiordesignmag
HOK + Shaw Contract
@HOKnetwork @ShawContract
Carl Hansen & Søn with design by Rockwell Group
@CarlHansenandSon @RockwellGroup
Dan Mazzarini of BHDM Design
@DanMazzarini @BHDMDesign
FLORIM + Perkins Eastman
@florim_ceramiche @perkinseastman.newyork
Fogarty Finger with MENU, Bower Studios, Maharam, UNITY CONSTRUCTION GROUP, and Fox Fodder Farm
@FogartyFinger @MENUspace @Bowerstudios @maharamstudio @unity_construction_group
HDR, Inc. with Giles Miller Studio
@HDR_INC
Jeffrey Beers International + Maya Romanoff
@jeffreybeersinternational @MayaRomanoff
Lauren Rottet for Rottet Studio
@RottetStudio @RottetCollection
Material Bank + Slade Architecture
@sladearchitecture @materialbank
LAB @ Rockwell Group
@LABatRockwellGroup
Sossego Design
@sossegodesign
Steelcase
@Steelcase
New York School of Interior Design | Mentor: Input Creative Studio
@nysid @input_creative_studio
Parsons The New School of Design | Mentor: Vanessa Deleon
@thenewschool @vda_designs
Pratt Institute | Mentors: Jon Otis & Matt Goodrich
@prattinstitute @object99 @good_rich.nyc
School of Visual Arts | Mentor: Kevin O’Callaghan
@svanyc
DIFFA Media Lounge
Aronson’s Floor Covering @aronsonsfloorcovering
Humanscale @humanscalehq
JB Lighting Collection @jb_lighting_collection
Lodes @lodesbrand
Stylex @stylexseating
Timbur @timburllc
True Residential @trueresidential
Wall art: Maiarelli Studio @maiarellistudio
Design by: HDR @HDR_inc