Thom Browne, Janelle MonáeMaxwell Brown/BFA.com
On Monday night, the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center—fondly known as The Center—kicked off Pride month by opening its landmarked doors on West 13th Street to host the Fashion Centered fundraising dinner. Now in its 12th iteration, this year’s event honored designer Thom Browne with the Lifetime Achievement Award and raised over $275,000.
The Center, which was founded in 1983 at the height of the AIDS epidemic to provide a safe shelter for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, now supports over 300,000 community members each year through its various programs.
On the red carpet, Browne was still in disbelief about the nod. Attending with his longtime partner Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Browne told Vogue: “Honestly, I don’t know if I really deserve it. There’s so many people that do so much more for the community than I do, but it’s a huge honor. It’s one of those New York moments in my life where I really wish my parents were still around to witness this. It means so much.”
The CFDA chairman added: “As a teen, this moment was something that I never thought of. Growing up, I never thought about being a fashion designer. I didn’t begin to think about fashion until I was out of college. My work has always been about being true to yourself and approaching fashion in your own way. Tonight, we are in a room with people that are just purely true to themselves and I feel so lucky that I am part of this community.”
The evening’s bash began with a cocktail hour in The Center’s garden courtyard where many guests, including Jenna Lyons, stylist Brad Goreski, and Tony-winning director Sam Pinkleton, showed up in head-to-toe Thom Browne ensembles. “Wearing Thom Browne is a different feeling,” said Pinkleton, who helmed Broadway’s Oh, Mary! and The Rocky Horror Show. “I love the intentionality of all the details. I love that he has a very clear aesthetic and an undeniable vision, which is old school, but underrated.”
