Prada Parfums and Andrew Carmellini Come Together for the Lunchbox Fund's Annual Fall Benefit Dinner
Vogue
Ashley Simpson"It's always a lot of love and it's always a lot of hard work. A healthy dose of stress to keep you pushing forward," mused Topaz Page-Green at Andrew Carmellini's not-yet-opened restaurant Leuca at the William Vale hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, last night. Page-Green was speaking to the efforts behind the annual Prada Parfums–supported Lunchbox Fund Fall Benefit Dinner. "Since last year, we've almost doubled the amount of children that we feed," said the philanthropist of her 2005-founded nonprofit. "We're in the process of adding an additional 10,000 children to our program, and by early next year, we'll be feeding 25,000 every day at school in the poorest regions in South Africa. As you know, these meals are literally the only meals that these kids are guaranteed to get in a day."
The night brought together everyone from cohosts Spike Jonze and Helena Christensen to Debbie Harry, Michael Stipe, Mickey Sumner, and Billy Crudup. Guests bid on the works of Chuck Close and Kiki Smith and feasted on Carmellini's sunflower pesto–topped sea bass crudo and grilled Block Island swordfish as the room came together to throw support behind the ambitious endeavor.
"It costs 25 cents to feed a kid, so every dollar we raise expands the program," said Page-Green.
Cohost Njideka Akunyili Crosby flew in from Los Angeles the morning of the event to show her support."I'm seven months pregnant. I'm exhausted. So I came back from London a week ago, and then I flew in from L.A. this morning," said Akunyili Crosby. "Everything in me said, 'Don't do it,' and everything in my brain knew it wasn't a good idea. I'm getting to that point where flying isn't a pleasure. But I truly believe in the cause and I decided it was worth it."
The evening was filled with the warmth of similarly dedicated spirits. "You're a bit like a supernova," said Sumner of her dear friend Page-Green.
"It's like opening night of Leuca, and it's the second time that Andrew Carmellini has done this," added Page-Green. "It means that people do this and they want to do it again. That for me is worth its weight in gold."