September 14, 2016

Text: Allie Weiss

Designers Take on the Picnic Basket for DIFFA’s Annual Fundraiser

Eschewing the traditional picnic basket for a tray, Stantec Architecture created a spread featuring Form bowls by Tom Dixon, CB2 table linens, and Cutipol cutlery. All photography by Erick Bardin.

Last week, DIFFA hosted its fifth annual Picnic by Design New York event at Mercantile Annex. DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS) raised over $50,000 at the fundraiser, which featured a silent auction of picnic baskets. Twenty leading designers and firms, including Gensler, ICRAVE, FXFOWLE, and Ted Moudis Associates, donated custom picnic spreads for the auction. 

Of the 20 baskets up for auction, very few actually featured a traditional basket. Instead, trays, backpacks, totes, and crates featured prominently in the packages, which were also outfitted with items like table linens, dining tools, games, books, and many a bottle of wine.

Attendees at the event were also treated to picnic fare from New York restaurants STK, Murray’s Cheese, and Mr. Bing. Picnic by Design, which is also hosted in other cities such as Austin and Las Vegas, will launch a Los Angeles edition on November 5 at WestEdge Design Fair. Proceeds from the event support DIFFA’s efforts to help organizations battle HIV/AIDS.

FXFOWLE created a Xorel seat that can be worn as a backpack. It also has a storage pocket to transport a mini table.

Knoll and Gensler collaborated on a picnic set that includes the bentwood Hat Trick chair that Frank Gehry designed for Knoll, textiles from KnollTextiles, and dinnerware by Massimo Vignelli for Heller.

MODmadeNY founder Michele Alfano created a “Molecular” basket inspired by atoms.

Rohmee’s picnic spread packs up into a multifunctional backpack that unzips into a sunshade.

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