Diane von Furstenberg was celebrated as the 2025 Icon of Culture at the gala hosted by the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) on 28 October 2025, where her enduring influence on fashion, philanthropy, and New York’s cultural landscape was the central theme.
The annual gala marked the second installment of the Icons of Culture event series organised by PAC NYC, a performing arts institution in Lower Manhattan that opened in September 2023 as part of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site.
The evening’s honours recognised von Furstenberg not only for her design achievements — in particular her iconic 1970s wrap dress — but also for her work as an entrepreneur, author, and advocate for women’s empowerment. Attendees included a gathering of cultural, fashion, philanthropic, and entertainment figures, among them Karlie Kloss, Tiffany Haddish, and Michael R. Bloomberg, the chairman of PAC NYC.
The program combined artistic performances including music, dance, and theatrical tribute segments, with comedic hosting by Seth Meyers. Musical highlights featured an opening by Esperanza Spalding performing Love and a closing set by Norah Jones. A choreographed dance number by Lorin Latarro involved 25 dancers wearing wrap dresses by von Furstenberg, performing across the theatre aisles and stage to Blondie’s Rapture.
Design cues for the gala reflected von Furstenberg’s aesthetic, with décor and attire highlighting polka dots, stripes, leopard prints, chain-link handkerchief motifs, and lipstick-print detailing, signature elements of her design lexicon.
The gala served not merely as a ceremonial tribute but as a reaffirmation of how art, design, and cultural institutions can intersect to advance community identity and empowerment. Honouring a designer whose creations transcended fashion into civic and philanthropic influence, the event reinforced PAC NYC’s role as a cultural hub in New York’s revitalised downtown district. The Icons of Culture series positions itself as a platform to spotlight leaders across creative and civic sectors, with subsequent festivals continuing conversations around women in leadership, design, and advocacy.
