Each year, Pratt Institute hosts a scholarship benefit, Legends, to honor icons of art and design whose works have helped shape the cultural landscape. Hosted this year against the stunning backdrop of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline at the Mandarin Oriental New York, the event raises vital funds for merit and need-based scholarships, as 80 percent of Pratt students receive financial aid to pursue their education.
On Thursday, November 20, Legends 2014 will honor style icon and designer Iris Apfel; PAPER magazine co-founder and editor-in-chief Kim Hastreiter; and designer and CEO David Yurman.
Iris Apfel, interior designer and fashion icon, has been part of the fashion scene for more than 50 years. Known for her iconic round eyeglasses, Apfel’s distinctive and richly layered wardrobe and accessories were the subject of a 2005 exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. She has completed design restoration projects at the White House under nine presidents and, at 93 years old, consults and lectures about style and fashion in addition to designing her own accessory line for Home Shopping Network (HSN).
Media entrepreneur, curator, and author Kim Hastreiter recently celebrated 30 years at PAPER, a groundbreaking independent magazine on art, design, pop culture, and fashion that she co-founded with David Hershkovits. She and Hershkovits still own, edit, and publish PAPER, which includes an internationally distributed bimonthly print edition, and PAPERMAG.com, which has been recognized with a prestigious Webby Award for Best Fashion Site.
David Yurman is an artist and an internationally acclaimed jewelry and timepiece designer with a lifelong passion for creation and innovation. After a series of apprenticeships with master sculptors Ernesto Gonzales, Jacques Lipchitz, and Theodore Roszak, he began exploring jewelry design while working as a sculptor for Hans Van de Bovenkamp. Committed to fulfilling a creative vision without boundaries or compromise, he founded the David Yurman brand in 1980 with his wife and business partner Sybil, and they created the company’s iconic cable bracelet in 1983. Today, David Yurman is a global luxury company with more than 30 retail boutiques throughout the United States, Canada, France, Hong Kong, and Moscow.
The glamorous gala will begin at 6 PM with a cocktail reception, followed by a 7 PM dinner and awards ceremony. Click here for tickets and contributions.
Image: Mandarin Oriental New York (photo: George Apostolidis)