Original ‘Queer Eye’ hosts Jai Rodriguez and Carson Kressley at the House of DIFFA EXTRAVAGANZA Gala. (Courtesy photos by Joseph Brewster)
On May 7, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, DIFFA/Dallas, concluded the season with its signature gala, House of DIFFA: EXTRAVAGANZA. The gala was hosted at the Omni Dallas Hotel and featured a curated selection of one-of-a-kind tailored jackets by world-renowned designers Veronica Beard, Badgley Mischka, Uncommon Man, Alberta Ferretti, Andre Yabin, DSquared2, Lucchese, Emilio Pucci, Alexander McQueen and many more.
The program kicked off with the Style Council Ambassador and DIFFA Legends runway walk followed by a speech from House of DIFFA Co-Chairs Clint Bradley, Justin Bundick, Brittanie Buchanan Oleniczak, and Jim DiMarino and DIFFA/Dallas’ Current Chair David White and DIFFA/Dallas Chair Emeritus Tim Garippa.
“House of DIFFA: EXTRAVAGANZA pays tribute to what the organization symbolizes – family. House of DIFFA represents eccentricity, inclusivity, and fights stigma. But most of all, House of DIFFA unites the community for one common cause – end the spread of HIV. Welcome to our House,” Oleniczak said at the event.
(Courtesy photos by Joseph Brewster)
Awards were presented to Rob Bradford (Impact in Fashion Award), Morris Dental Clinic (Health Award), George Cameron Nash (Excellence in Design Award), Michael Bauer (Legacy of Love Award), Tim LeDuc (Donna Fishel Community Hero Award), and Joyce and Kenny Goss (Legend in the Fight Against AIDS).
Following the award presentation, original Queer Eye hosts Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez welcomed patrons to the show. Dashaun Wesley, host of the HBO Max original series Legendary, vogued with his troupe of dancers.
Guests were then given the opportunity to donate during the DIFFA/Dallas’ Fund-A-Grant campaign. The program ended with the Southwest Funding Live Auction hosted by comedian and celebrity auctioneer Dana Goldberg.
“Even though House of DIFFA EXTRAVAGANZA was postponed for two years, due to the generosity of our sponsors and patrons, DIFFA/Dallas was still able to grant more than $600k to North Texas AIDS Service Organizations throughout the pandemic,” DIFFA/Dallas Board Chair David White said in a press release. “Now that House of DIFFA is back in person and bigger than ever, we’re thrilled to exceed our grant giving goal to direct care for North Texas AIDS Service Organizations this season.”
The runway show featured fashions by Neiman Marcus, Forty Five Ten, and Traffic LA, with performances including a dance performance by Gwendolynne Murphy, RuPaul’s Drag Race star Elliott with 2 Ts, and a performance by LEXXE.
The House of DIFFA After Party featured tunes by DJ Lucy Wrubel with a live performance by SHAB.
The event was sold out with an attendance count of more than 1,400 attendees.
Luke Harris and Terrance Joseph
Ken Valencia, Brian Cross, and Carson Kressley
Jonathan Williamson and Tristan Tanner
–From staff reports
