Welcome to China Town: Designers Fling Crockery for Fancy AIDS Fund-Raiser

The Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS “Dining by Design” benefit on Monday, March 31, had enough crystal, intricate upholstery, designer china and orchids to make even Martha Stewart a little dizzy. Also: Drag queen Lady Bunny and her massive blond hair, spinning some records—plus yummy duck crepes!

Fashion designers Vivienne Tam and Ralph Lauren were among 45 contributors commissioned to create fantasy “dining rooms” for the event, held at Skylight Studios on Hudson Street.

The crowd seemed particularly drawn by an installation by Dalzell Productions featuring a man blindfolded, tied up and suspended upside down over a black table with nothing but three crumpled tissues on it. (Two production assistants were charged with staring at their watches so that they could swap the male subjects every 12 minutes.) A knitting-themed dinner set by DIFFA board chairman and architect David Rockwell and one by event designer Gary Bias with yet another drag queen petting a toy dog also caused some congestion.

Fashion designer James Coviello’s installation was adorned with quilted patchwork and antique-looking tableware. “I actually brought all that china from my home, and it’s going right back there after the exhibit is over,” he said, adding, “Fashion can be a bit snobby sometimes; the interior design world is a little more laid-back and down-to-earth.”

Marc Blackwell, who’s helped Bette Midler and Cindy Crawford with their dining rooms, was another whose room was showcased. “Dining rooms make sense because they are all about entertainment,” he said. “It’s where people come together.”

The fund-raiser’s executive director, interior designer David Sheppard, pronounced himself “thrilled” with the evening. “When the designers first show up, it’s a little bit about managing all the egos in the room, but this year everything came together nicely,” he said. Mr. Sheppard then sheepishly admitted that he lives in a studio and does not, himself, have a dining room.