Galerie Celebrates 2026 Creative Minds at Armani Ristorante Party
A select group of 26 were fêted for their inspiring contributions across the diverse realms of art, interior design, jewelry, cuisine, architecture, landscape design, perfume and more
It was a warm spring night on Madison Avenue when Galerie Magazine returned to Armani Ristorante for the second year in a row to celebrate the honorees eighth annual slate of Creative Minds honorees. Galerie founder and editorial director Lisa Fayne Cohen and editor in chief Jacqueline Terrebonne hosted an elegant, private cocktail party followed by dinner for a sparkling guest list comprised of Creative Minds past and present, cultural luminaries, art world mavens and Galerie editors.
Lisa Fayne Cohen set the warm mood of the evening by reflecting on the magazine’s history, and the purpose of the soirée, “We are here tonight to honor our Creative Minds Award recipients, each one carefully selected from around the globe by Galerie’s editors. These visionaries represent the very best across design, jewelry, fashion, and the culinary arts. Tonight is a celebration of that spirit. What unites them is not simply talent, but the rare ability to imagine something entirely new—to reinvent the familiar, to go beyond convention, and to create work that feels unmistakably their own. The definition of creativity is often described as the ability to transform traditional ideas and bring forth something original, and every honoree in this room embodies that.”
The glamorous new store provided a stunning background for the delectable dinner. The double-height boutique felt unmistakably Armani: disciplined and architectural, softened by sculptural floral arrangements and touches of green that brought warmth to the otherwise restrained palette. Signature Armani/Casa table lamps cast a low, flattering glow across the space, reinforcing the quiet elegance and residential sophistication that have long defined the brand’s Madison Avenue presence. The menu featured a first course of spinach salad with honeycrisp apple, pecorino, goat cheese, caramelized pistachio and balsamic vinegar. For the main course, there was a choice between pan fried seabass, eggplant caponata and caciucco sauce; grilled New York beef striploin, leek and potato terrine and summer truffle juice; or saffron Carnaroli risotto with 24 months Parmigiano Reggiano fondue. Dessert was a meringue with coconut, berries and white chocolate.
“Our Creative Minds event is always my favorite night of the year. This week the worlds of art and design from around the globe come together in New York, and our guests are such a beautiful example of that. This year’s honorees are joining us from across the map—Kit Kemp from London, Joseph Walsh from Ireland, Walter Hood from Los Angeles, Jesse Katz from Sonoma, Chris Wolston from Colombia as well as New York stars such as Michele Oka Doner and Simon Kim.”
Others in attendance included ceramist Peter Lane, designer Stephanie Goto, painter Lucy de Kooning Villeneuve, designer Mark Grattan, artist Misha Kahn, publicity executive Susan Magrino, Ruinart CMO Violine Basse, designer Sébastien Léon and architect Sara Zewde.
Terrebonne summed up the excitement of the evening: “It’s extraordinary to have the most exceptional talents from such a wide range of fields as well as locales all together for one special dinner. You can feel the energy in the air—the fizzy excitement that comes from the cross-pollination of ideas, especially from such a revered group of Creative Minds.”
See more highlights from the event below: