On May 21, fashion lovers gathered in New York City to celebrate style and community at The LGBT Community Center’s 10th annual Fashion Centered Gala honoring Brandon Blackwood and Dorothy Berwin.

Founded at the height of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in 1983, The Center has provided support for New York City’s LGBTQ+ community through mental health services, economic initiatives, recovery programs, youth support and more. The annual gala is organized to fundraise and ensure that The Center can maintain and grow their advocacy and philanthropic efforts.

On the carpet for this exclusive interview, gala co-chair and board member Berwin discussed how raising money for organizations like The Center is important in the current political climate.

“America doesn't have a very strong social infrastructure system like some European countries, so private donations and funding are essential for mental health counseling, breast cancer, youth programming, trans families, inclusivity,” Berwin told REVOLT. “One day, in an ideal world, if you could wave a magic wand, The Center wouldn’t need to exist, but that world is not now. So, we need to do everything we can to support many LGBTQIA people who are suffering or who want to just find more community.”

Victor Glemaud spoke on the misconceptions about New York and why he sits in his seat as a gala co-chair. “In New York, where we think we have so much space to be who we are and to express ourselves, that's not true. That's not true for a lot of people; whatever their race, whatever their age, whatever their gender,” he said. “As someone who has had such great support from my family and my friends to just be authentically who I am, I want to show that, and I want to help people realize that there are places like The Center [where] you can start your progress to your authentic self.”

REVOLT also chatted with the man of the hour, Blackwood. The designer’s luxury brand has grown tremendously since its start as a handbag line in 2015. Since then, he has added shoes and outerwear to his brand and dressed A-listers like Beyoncé, Serena Williams, Megan Thee Stallion and Sheryl Lee Ralph. In 2022, Blackwood received a CFDA Fashion Award nomination for American Accessory Designer of the Year. In 2023, his first shoe collection received the Launch of the Year honor at the Footwear News Achievement Awards.

We chatted with the Brooklyn native about his most recent accolade: Being honored by The Center at the 2024 Fashion Centered Gala. “It's so crazy... It feels full circle. It's very humbling,” Blackwood said. “From very humble beginnings to now, it feels really insane. I actually used to come [to The Center] after school, so it's really just a really crazy moment. The brand just keeps going like this and I’m just here for the ride.”

Blackwood’s achievements and popularity showcase how the Black LGBTQ+ community influences fashion. “Just looking back to last year, the ‘Renaissance Tour,’ that was Black queer culture personified. If you look at designers, what's coming out, there’s always some type of root into Black culture and finally now we’re all seeing it really celebrated.”

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Blackwood decided to utilize his talents as a designer to advocate for social justice. This resulted in the viral End Systemic Racism tote, with proceeds going to nonprofit organizations. Blackwood felt it was necessary to use fashion to call for justice. “It felt really weird to sell a product, especially in 2020 with everything going on. My following was way smaller, but then I was like, ‘What can we do to say something?’ and that's where the ESR tote was born from, and they kind of took off from there.” The item “taking off” is quite the understatement. Per Business Insider, the bag sold out in two hours and became a social media sensation, even getting posted by Kim Kardashian.

While many of Hollywood’s elite have worn Blackwood’s pieces, the designer still has a dream client he’d like to dress next. “I mean, like after Beyoncé, I'm like…,” he told REVOLT. “But no, every celebrity we work with, I just love so much, but I'm still waiting on the Rihanna moment.”

And so are we!

Blackwood’s creative vision continues to grow, and he has more tricks up his sleeve for the brand’s future. “We have outerwear, shoes — all that good stuff. I've always wanted to go into clothing. That's something that we are toying around with. You might be seeing it very soon,” he added.