Galas
& Special Events
L’Alliance New York Benefit Gala
L’Alliance New York’s annual benefit Gala is our largest fundraising event, gathering more than 500 international guests to celebrate the honorees of the Trophée des Arts and Pilier d’Or awards. The event, which is under the patronage of the French Ambassador to the US and the French Consul General in New York City, kicks off with a cocktail hour and silent auction, followed by a seated dinner, live auction, and an afterparty.
Created in 1992, the Trophée des Arts award recognizes a distinguished artist or cultural icon who exemplifies L’Alliance New York’s goal of French-American friendship and cross-cultural exchange. The Pilier d’Or award, established in 2006, recognizes a leading business figure, diplomat, or philanthropist for outstanding contributions to the Francophone-American community. In 2022, a Featured Artist spotlight was added to the Gala; artwork by the chosen creative is displayed at and interwoven into the event.
Key past Trophée des Arts recipients include actress Sofia Boutella, chef Alain Ducasse, actress Jane Fonda, painter and writer Françoise Gilot, actress Catherine Deneuve, and music producer Quincy Jones. Recent Pilier d’Or awards were given to Christine & Stephen Schwarzman (Broadway Producer and CEO of Blackstone, respectfully), Jean-Paul Agon (Chairman and former CEO of L’Oréal), Sébastien Bazin (Chairman and CEO of AccorHotels), Bruno Pavlovsky (President of CHANEL SAS and CHANEL Fashion), and Dominique Senequier (President of Ardian).
Art de Vivre Award
Established in 2014, L’Alliance New York’s Art de Vivre Award recognizes influential leaders from the food, wine, beauty, and fashion industries for their outstanding contributions to the promotion of the French art of living. The event commences with cocktails and an award ceremony in L’Alliance’s soaring Le Skyroom, followed by dinner and a live auction at iconic French bistro Le Bilboquet.
Past Art de Vivre Award honorees include Elisabeth Holder and Pierre-Antoine Raberin (Co-Presidents of Ladurée USA), Frédéric Malle (Founder of Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle), Martine and Prosper Assouline (Co-Founders of Assouline), Carine Roitfeld (Founder of CR Fashion Book), Frédéric Fekkai (Founder and CEO of Bastide and FEKKAI), Ariane Daguin (Owner and CEO of D’Artagnan), Anne Fontaine and Ari Zlotkin (Co-Founders of Anne Fontaine), The Chantecaille Family (Founders of Chantecaille), and Laure Hériard Dubreuil (Founder of The Webster).