The New School honored Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter and visual artist, Solange Knowles, Marco Bizzarri, President CEO of Gucci and José Neves, CEO and Founder of Farfetch at the 70th Annual Parsons Benefit for their educational and charitable efforts and their embodiment of the university’s dedication to innovation and creativity.
Knowles attended with her friends, musicians Kelela and Dev Hynes, wearing Parsons alum and current faculty Shanel Campbell. The event hosted in collaboration with the College of Performing Arts at The New School was held at Pier Sixty in New York City on May 21.
Solange
“Parsons and The New School, I can’t put into words how overwhelmingly awesome this is and how humbled and honored I am,” said Solange while accepting the award. “What a beautiful night. I’m eternally grateful!”
Guests of the night included fashion designer Dapper Dan, LaLa Anthony and rapper Vince Staples, who gave a speech paying tribute to Knowles’ impact as a tantalizing figure in fashion and art. Though not in attendance Missy Elliot, Pharrell and Erykah Badu honored the singer with video presentations to praise her individuality and boldness.
Dapper Dan
Lala Anthony
Vince Staples
Student Designs
Outside of honoring people within the arts, the perennial event also introduced the who is believed to be the next generation of fashion design leaders and raises instrumental funds for student scholarships. This year’s benefit raised $2.26 million in scholarships with Gucci and Farfetch announcing scholarship funds for students.