As a gusty evening wind blew through SoHo outside The Manner Hotel, a masterclass of creative luminaries from the worlds of style, entertainment, business, and philanthropy gathered to toast (Red)’s future-forward initiative: a robust council of changemakers.
At the bar, co-host, and council chair, Laura Brown explained its credo: “I was very honored to be asked to pull this together. Important issues need to remain at the forefront of culture, and that was the number one idea in creating this group,” Brown said. Indeed, the room was made up of voices across industries, perspectives, and backgrounds, joining the organization to take on HIV/AIDs advocacy.
Between sips of an aptly named “RedHeads” chardonnay and collaborative LOBOS 1707 tequila, The White Lotus’s Murray Bartlett, designers including Emily Adams Bode Aujla and Daniella Kallmeyer, as well as photographer Quil Lemons and multi-hyphenate Ludwig Hurtado (fresh off of a Forbes 30 under 30 win that morning) took in the scene.
“For us, (Red) has always been about being in the cultural zeitgeist. We were thinking about the people that are out there with real platforms. This night is about bringing them together,” (Red) president and chief operating officer Jennifer Lotito explained.
While the gathered group settled into their seats for dinner, long-time champion Iman addressed the room, discussing the urgent vision and upcoming Discover(RED) Fashion Prize – which will involve the celebration and financial awarding of African designers.
“We’re choosing this angle so that we can empower a generation, so that they can empower themselves,” Iman said. The project aims to inject newness and excitement into the fashion industry, while empowering creatives across the continent.
“There need to be many famous, global African fashion designers. Additionally, 50 percent of each collection will benefit the Global Fund,” Brown explained in additional remarks, referring to the initiative that supports the organization’s grants and programs around the world.
Raising almost $800 million since its inception, 2025 will be a banner year for (Red), with the launch of a Premier League football club collaboration (to be announced at Davos in January 2025), the aforesaid fashion prize, and continued developments through the Creative Council’s roster of industry leaders and innovators.
“From our perspective, it’s about understanding where the opportunities are to engage with consumers, companies, philanthropists, sports teams, and more… We’ve got to think about where people are paying attention and getting active,” Lotito shared.
