Design, Food and Charity all rolled up at DIFFA Picnic by Design 2017

Hygge Basket- Michele Alfano Design and Tiago Fonseca

Last Wednesday DIFFA -DesignIndustries Foundation Fighting AIDS hosted a fun filled Picnic By Design event celebrating creative expression while raising funds and engaging designers in DIFFA’s mission to further the fight against HIV/AIDS. This year $50,000 was raised to support DIFFA’s grants to HIV/AIDS direct service organizations and programs in New York City and across the country. Nearly 250 people filled the Stage 48 rooftop, to come see 22 leading designers who created and donated vibrant, themed picnic baskets filled with picnic treats and essentials for attendees to bid on and win in the Picnic By Design auction.

Hygge Basket- Michele Alfano Design and Tiago Fonseca

Credit Images: Erik Bardin

This year I entered the HYGGE Modern Basket, inspired by the Danish philosophy of Hygge, translating the elements of my DXV space into my Picnic by Design basket. Tiago Fonseca of course was my partner in crime again building with beautiful craftsmanship. 

Hygge Basket- Michele Alfano Design

Hygge is a feeling of happiness and well-being. To achieve a sense of Nordic coziness, I balanced light colored materials with geometric pattern,  a pop of color and nature.  To depict the landscape of Copenhagen, the angled lines of the basket works in concert with a customized wood coastline Pangea map of Copenhagen - which was customized specifically for the basket. Thank you Pangea maps!

All the senses are touched with elements representing earth, water, and fire. So, whether you are sipping wine, eating good food or enjoying yourself with good friends, the key to this sensorial picnic design is to elevate your picnic experience and heighten the simple pleasures of life. That is Hygge!

Thankyou to HORNE for the gorgeous flatware, and Robert Allen for the beautiful fabrics Artworld Indigo, Tessa Techtonic and Tessa Stitch blue.

Thankyou to Cindy Allen, Editor in Chief Interior Design Magazine who purchased my basket design!

Michele Alfano, Tiago Fonseca and Cindy Allen

Thanks to my friends and supporters of DIFFA Picnic by Design:

Having a blast with Lori Dolnick, Deborah Von Donop, Michele Alfano, 
Kristen Sawyer , Cory Berwanger, Tiago Fonseca, Tyler Wisler, Leanne Wood Newman

Michele Alfano and Michelle Radley of JM Lifestyles

Michele Alfano, Tiago Fonseca, Deborah Von Donop, Guy Tunnicliffe

Here are some of my fave baskets from the 2017 designers:

jesGORDON/properFUN x Dirt Cobain

NPZ Style & Décor

Tito’s Handmade Vodka

“DragCon Basket” styled by Tyler Wisler 

Vanessa Deleon Associates

Stillwell Events NYC with Elegant Affairs NYC

Scott Brogan Group

Antoinette Loupé, Canard Inc

Stacy Garcia Inc.

Ted Moudis Associates

Credit Images: Erik Bardin

Thank you to the sponsors: Blanco, Bolon, Design Lab @ Bell Works, DXV, DRS Associates, EGE, Flaneur, Innomark, Maya Romanoff, NTT Industries, New York Design Center, StudioTK, Robert Allen Duralee Group and The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.

Design, Charity and Food at DIFFA's Picnic by Design 2013 event

(image: Becky Yee Photography)

An explosion of creativity adorned the roof top of the Scholastic building in N.Y.C. for DIFFA's second annual Picnic by Design event. Forty-five designers came together to create picnic settings that awed, inspired and delighted. It was an extraordinary landscape of people, food, color, pattern and three-dimension sponsored by Robert Allen Fabric, Lenovo, Maya Romonoff Starbucks, Dwell and New York Design Center. Besides great design and the beautiful sunset, fun was had by all at the event.....make your own berry mojitos with Patron, inscribe your own Patron muddler and great raffle giveaways! 

See some design...lets start with mine (MoD Design Guru's):

Life's essentials: fire, water, earth and air

Harmony between the elements is the inspiration for my picnic setting. The layers of the box pivot open to reveal the treasures inside, while providing a table for you and your guest. Many thanks to Robert Allen Fabric who donated the gorgeous Palmwood in Jet & Mod Reeves in Steel fabric, Vita lighting for the sculptural EOS light fixture and FiveStarMillwork who fabricated the picnic box. 

Wanna see more great design? Take a tour of some of my faves....

DIFFA Picnic by Design 2013 Summer Soiree

How would you like to go to Picnic by Design, a NYC summer soiree benefiting  DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS)? A one-of-a-kind picnic basket designed by MoD Design Guru is a ticket to The Picnic By Design 2013 dinner + cocktail party. Each basket includes dinner and wine for two people followed by the cocktail and dessert party. Take home the whole experience..... which includes the unique basket and all its tabletop contents!! 

The soiree is on August 21, 2013 at the Scholastic Building Rooftop Atrium 557 Broadway, New York City. Dinner 6:30- 8 pm. Cocktail: 8-11pm. 

MDG's Picnic basket is available for purchase HERE.... but I'm sure you would like a peek into the inspiration before hitting the red "Buy Basket button." 

Picnic Design inspiration: 

MoD Design Guru Picnic by Design experience 2013

Connecting with all the amazing work DIFFA does in promoting life and caring for those living with AIDS, MoD design Guru's picnic design is based on the pure elements of LIFE: air, fire, earth and water. Each essential LIFE element is embedded into the experience:

AIR: the EOS light fixture by Vita lighting is encased in pure bird feathers. ( fixture donated by Vita lighting)

FIRE: candles. 

EARTH: the cross-section of the box depicts the earth and its many layers. The basket's top layer transforms into a table for two, perfect for a picnic.

WATER: a pop of ocean blue. 

Design: MoD Design Guru 

Fabricator: FiveStarMillwork

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DIFFA DINING BY DESIGN 2013 - ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST SHOW

This year I was excited to be able to go to the Architectural Digest Home show with #BlogTourNYC - Modenus as a BlogTour alum. I saw some wonderful old friends and met some fantastic new designer friends from abroad amid very tasty Marys & Mimosas, a great event hosted by Veronika Miller of Modenus and the AD Home show.

Part of BlogtourNYC was DIFFA’s (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) Dining by design.. this is the part of the Architectural Digest Home show where amazing talent creates unique dining–scapes that inspire and amaze. A special treat was when Arteriors owner Mark Mousa and famed Interior Designer Barry Dixon gave us a personal tour!  The creativity this year was beyond amazing: jewel tone colors, layers of texture, bold graphics, and hints of old-world craft combined with modern touches....

Design, Food and Charity under the stars

                                                                                                                                                               photo credit: Marco Bollinger

Picnic by Design was a hip soiree last night!! Food and design, what a great mix for a New York City charity event hosted by DIFFA, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS. DIFFA is known for raising awareness about HIV/AIDS through unique events like Architectural Digest's Dining by Design, an event that showcases styled table vignettes by premier designers. 

photo credit: Marco Bollinger

Not unlike picnicking at Central Park, guests were sprawled out on Mima's urban roof-deck, designed by DIFFA’s own co-chair David Rockwell. Creative juices were flowing...thirty designers, including myself, crafted a picnic experience  ($250) equipped with wine glasses, plates, utensils, napkins, a corkscrew, a blanket and other quirky surprises. In addition, three VIP “Chef Choice” packages ($500) were designed by celebrity-chef teams: Marchesa by Lenox/Chef Geoffrey, Marie Aiello/Chef Eric Ripert and Whoopi Goldberg/ TUG Studio/Chef Paul Liebrand. The brain of this casual-chic event was coordinated by the following young designers: Brooke Lichtenstein, Yiannos Vrousgos, Dwayne Clark, Bob Gaynor, Nigel Sielegar, Dee Kemper and Mary Davis. They did a marvelous job!

Had a great time speaking with some fun designers....

Dwanye Clark and Bob Gaynor from RDYC and Yiannos Vrousgos from Input creative studiosphoto credit: Marco Bollinge

                                                      and

  Me, quirky Jane Fondant and Dee Kemper of Domoore designs

                           

and 

Some hilarious entertainment:

photo credit: Marco Bollinger

Guests were entertained by dancing men dressed in red checkered tablecloths!

Now for some design which was a feast for the eyes....some designers deconstructed the given Scout bag and crafted a watermelon wagon, an English inspired trunk, a tee-pee, a romantic get-away and so much more!

All images above photo credit: Marco Bollinger

(see my picnic basket bag in the distance)

Dwanye Clark and Bob Gaynor from RDYC purchased my bag!!

photo credit: Marco Bollinger

                                     My designed picnic basket above

photo credit: Marco Bollinger

After all the oohs and aahs, guests were entertained by an exclusive movie screening of the documentary Making the Boys, addressing the serious issues of gay rights and social stigma. 

Thank you DIFFA, it was a blast!!

Part 2-

See my design process in crafting my basket:

Each designer was given a Scout tote bag to “trick” out. 

My basket was inspired by the industrial forms and materials of Richard Serra’s sculptures. All my materials were found at Home Depot. While shopping, I felt like I was on one of those reality design shows hunting for materials. After scouring the aisles, I decided to construct the bag out of woven-vinyl hanger strap used in plumbing and electrical speaker wire. And a way we go....

photo credit: Marco Bollinger