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A Legacy in Focus: The Gordon Parks Gala Brings Together Fashion’s Finest

May 21, 2025

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Bethann Hardison and Colman Domingo

Johnny Nunez

Cipriani 42nd Street was resplendent last night as the Gordon Parks Foundation hosted its annual Awards Dinner and Auction—a high-glamour, high-impact evening where fashion, art, music, and philanthropy converged to celebrate Black creativity and the legacy of Gordon Parks. “This night is really about continuing Gordon’s legacy—not just by honoring the past, but by fueling the future,” said Peter W. Kunhardt Jr., the Foundation’s Executive Director.

This year’s honorees reflected the wide reach of Parks’ influence across generations and disciplines: trailblazing model and activist Bethann Hardison; visionary artist Rashid Johnson; Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Global Editorial Director and Condé Nast’s Chief Content Officer; and civil rights icon Ambassador Andrew Young. “Gordon is a vital part of Vogue’s history,” Wintour said, dressed in Ferragamo and L’Enchanteur. “With the Met’s costume exhibition newly opened, it felt like the right moment to accept this honor—a moment to spotlight Black creators and celebrate Gordon’s enduring influence.”

The guest list read like a Met Gala redux. Attendees arrived in looks by Christopher John Rogers, Thom Browne, A.W.A.K.E. MODE, vintage Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten, and Esenhel hats. Rashid Johnson, fresh off his Guggenheim survey, wore a sleek all-black suit from The Row. Meanwhile, Andra Day turned heads in a sharp black Ralph Lauren tuxedo. “The best way I can describe this night is full circle,” she told Vogue. “When I think about Gordon Parks, I think about treasure—something sacred. That’s what this organization does: it uncovers treasure.”

In classic Parks Foundation fashion, the evening honored both past and future. The room paid tribute to Parks’ contemporaries Mikki Ferrill and LeRoy Henderson, while also celebrating the Foundation’s 2025 fellows: Derek Fordjour, Scheherazade Tillet, and Salamishah Tillet—each pushing creative and cultural boundaries in their respective fields. The baton is passed—sharp, steady, and unapologetically bold.

Colman Domingo, May Vogue cover star and Met Gala co-chair, presented Wintour’s award in an embroidered Amiri suit. “I think Gordon Parks would be proud,” he said. “Especially what Anna is doing now—really highlighting Black voices in fashion and beyond.”

The evening’s live auction led by Sotheby’s Kimberly Pirtle added thrilling momentum. Gordon Parks’ photograph of Pastor Ledbetter—heightened by the presence of the pastor’s son and grandson—set the tone. Department Store reached $140,000, Shady Grove went for $60,000 (to Gayle King), and a surprise appearance by Parks’ iconic American Gothic drew gasps and fierce bidding.

As the evening tapered into late-night glamour, creative camaraderie filled the room. Misty Copeland and Andra Day toasted with champagne, Annie Leibovitz and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie traded stories, and Mickalene Thomas snapped a selfie with Sherri Bronfman and Robin Givhan. It was a cross-disciplinary celebration of artistry—fashion, literature, photography, and activism—that captured the magic of the Parks legacy.

Bethann Hardison, regal in a sculptural look by the late Danish designer Ivan Grundahl, accepted her award from Tyson Beckford and Aurora James. “When something has a legacy that continues on,” she said, “that’s when you feel its grace.”

The night ended on a rousing note with Ambassador Young’s call for global unity, followed by Andra Day’s soaring reprise of “Rise Up”—a fitting anthem for a night dedicated to the enduring vision of Gordon Parks, whose lens continues to sharpen how we see the world.