Sunset views of the Hudson River from Ramscale Studios in New York provided a backdrop to the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS yearly picnic event on August 5. Participating designers created themed picnic baskets, which were judged by a panel and auctioned off among the event’s 250 attendees to benefit DIFFA. Creations from Gensler, Michele Alfano of MoDmade NY and ARCHIVES id earned top honors.
Anne Randazzo, interior designer at Gensler, designed the company’s winning basket, which was made of stiff felt and constructed to serve multiple purposes. Randazzo shared her inspiration with EAL: “The felt was nice because it added a lot of structure. Even though it was thick and hard to sew, the felt was a good product to use because it made the basket stand up on its own. The inspiration was being able to have dual purposes: the idea is that it serves as a basket, but when you lay it out, it’s also the tablecloth and the place setting. Two in one.”
Other participating designed included Byron C. James-Rodrigues for House of Oasis; Kristen Ward Guerrero of Sargenti Architects; Cheryl Umbles Interior Design; Nile Johnson Interior Design; Antoinette Loupe Interiors; Hollymount Ltd.; Christina Caughey of Cristina Mary Designs; Vanessa DeLeon of Vanessa DeLeon Associates; Carl Lana for Cliffton Dry; Elk Collective; CetraRuddy; Rixner Wright Interiors; Urtensils; Courtney Sloane Design; and Mong/Tordorora. Their creations were judged by Cindy Allen, chairman of DIFFA and editor-in-chief of Interior Design; Louise Vongerichten, head of development at the acclaimed Chef’s Club US; Christophe Rammant, president of EGE & Bolon; Stephanie Goto, principal of STEPHANIEGOTO and Barry Richards, principal and studio leader at Rockwell Group. The winning baskets will soon be featured on InteriorDesign.net.
