What happens when fashion icons, culture-shapers, and civil rights champions gather in a penthouse above downtown Manhattan? A movement is born. On April 23, The Standard, East Village played host to something a little more meaningful than your average night out: the launch of Creatives for Freedom, a new initiative from the ACLU designed to rally the creative industries around civil rights, democracy, and the power of cultural storytelling.
The vibe? Electric. The guest list? A mix of heavy-hitting designers, artists, actors, and advocates—including Gabriela Hearst, Willy Chavarria and Padma Lakshmi (yes, that Padma)—who co-hosted the evening in our iconic penthouse, high above downtown Manhattan. Think moody lighting, skyline views, and conversations that actually mattered.
Created to bring together voices from fashion, film, music, TV, publishing, and social media, Creatives for Freedom is about mobilizing the creative world to take a stand—and make some noise—for the values that matter: reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant protections, free expression and more.
The night’s conversation, led by ACLU senior leadership AJ Hikes and Cecillia Wang, was a reminder that storytelling isn’t just entertainment—it’s a tool for resistance, a driver of change, and one of our most powerful democratic acts. And with guests like Danai Gurira, Alan Cumming, Joey Bada$$, Dustin Yellen and Ella Snyder in the room, the energy was as elevated as the penthouse.
ACLU's Cecillia Wang, Padma Lakshmi and ACLU's AJ Hikes
As always, The Standard, East Village brought the vibes—mixing cultural gravitas with that just-right touch of downtown edge. The launch marked the first in a national series of events aimed at energizing creatives to step up and speak out.
This is what democracy looks like. With better lighting.
