



1 / 18 Chevron Chevron Photo: Matteo Prandoni / BFA.com Karen Wong and Jhené Aiko in 3.1 Phillip Lim

“I think so many of us, in our different tribes, we’re the other—tonight, we are it,” beamed Karen Wong, deputy director of the New Museum and a board member of the Apex for Youth, which was celebrating its 26th Inspiration Awards Gala. The nonprofit’s goal is to provide education, mentoring, and after-school resources to underserved Asian-American communities. The evening at Cipriani Wall Street kicked off with cocktails, which brought out a fashionable crew including Dao-Yi Chow, Maxwell Osborne, Phillip Lim, and Prabal Gurung. “We do a lot of work for ourselves and propping our own brands, and tonight is a chance to give back to the kids, my community, [and] immigrants,” said Chow, adding, “[It’s a chance] for us to do something for the next generation, who will be in the same position as we are now.”

Some of the next generation were in attendance that night. Olympians Alex and Maia Shibutani were overwhelmed by well-wishers, including Eva Chen, Joe Zee, Harold Koda, and countless others in the room, hoping to snap a selfie. Designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, global creative director John C. Jay, and singer Jhené Aiko were the evening’s honorees. Executive director Michael Lee said it best: “What’s special about tonight is we bring together so many different people from so many different backgrounds. It’s just knowing there are so many good-hearted people that want to give back.”