The Parsons Benefit might be meant to annually celebrate the next crop of creative talent — and, in part, fund their financial aid — but the event also looked to another cohort of established titans of industry Tuesday for their own honorings.
Among them was fashion designer Willy Chavarria, Sephora North America chief executive Artemis Patrick and Madelyn Wils of the Fifth Avenue Association. They were joined by a host of other heavy hitters, including past honoree Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Zanna Roberts Rassi, Elena Velez and more.
“This honor is truly incredible because when I think about other people who have gotten this honor, I am honestly in awe of the company on this list and it’s pretty incredible,” Patrick said during the party’s kickoff cocktail hour. “Almost 30 years ago, I actually almost came to graduate school at the New School. I decided to stay in California at the last minute, so to walk in here decades later and receive this honor is frankly surreal.”
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Nurturing the next generations of talent isn’t just a personal passion for Patrick — it’s part of her professional ethos. “I always remember the honor and responsibility we have as leaders to lead by example,” she said. “I don’t think of mentorship as an hour a week on Zoom, I think about how I show up every single day and how I can work with my team. The next generation is all about what you do and not what you say, and I keep that in mind with everything I do.”
Although the tone of some speeches took a more political tone, the mood was still cheerful toward a new generation of graduates entering the workforce. When accepting her award, for example, Wils talked about how broader trials and tribulations in the world can redirect one down a new — and in her case, more fulfilling — career path.
“My life was altered dramatically on and after 9/11,” she said. “My career changed, as did my purpose. I found I had the greatest excitement in changing the landscape of our great city. My approach to any project is to first create a vision for what I believe is possible, and I have to see the road ahead to the very end.”
Chavarria had an equally empowering message for recent and upcoming graduates looking to start their careers full-time.
“The number-one thing is to have a love for yourself and a self-confidence that allows you to believe in what you’re doing, so that you’re not mimicking other people,” Chavarria said. “That comes with a lot of work and a lot of practice to be able to fight your inner saboteur and have faith in yourself.”
Similarly, though, he also said to not shy away from any opportunities provided. “Get a job anywhere, learn anything, work your ass off. You can never start too low,” he said. “You should never think you’re going to get a great design job right out of school.”
Keeping with the optimism of the evening, the event closed out with a surprise birthday cake — and a chorus of an entire crowd singing “Happy Birthday” — to Kay Unger in advance of her 80th birthday.
