Gala 2025

Roman-born Alessandra Branca’s interiors embody her insatiable curiosity, a taste for adventure, and a dash of rebellion. Honing her craft over three decades, she has cultivated a distinctive use of vibrant layers of color and history and new artful textures all to create iconic, comfortable, chic interiors. From the millennia-old streets of Rome to the modern creative energies of her offices in Chicago, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles, Branca’s influence shapes richly classical yet updated spaces that seduce worldwide—from private residences to hotels, offices, and yachts, coast to coast and across the globe, spanning California and Colorado to New York, London, Rome, and The Bahamas. 

Her early creative life was nurtured by a family that counted art historians, engineers, educators, and creatives who wove a tapestry of constant conversation, forming her foundation and feeding her imagination. Within this, context, color, texture, proportion, and precision—balanced with a quiet but strong appreciation for the ancient as well as the new—define a refined intersection of architecture, history, color and light. Her eye is as likely to be inspired by sun-soaked beach hues as by the interiors of set designer Renzo Mongiardino or the impact of the Farneses on art, architecture, and culture. 

Branca’s work has been featured in numerous magazines and design books over the years including Architectural Digest, ELLE Decor, Town & Country, W Magazine, Veranda, The New York Times, and many more. Her acclaimed book, New Classic Interiors, quickly became an industry touchstone. Her best-selling collections have been featured in a fabric line for Schumacher, wallpaper and embroidered fabrics for De Gournay, and exclusive product launch at Bergdorf Goodman. In 2020 she introduced and launched her namesake fabric, wallpaper and furniture collection Casa Branca with a boutique in Palm Beach, an Atelier and Showroom in West Palm Beach and showrooms throughout the US and UK.

Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, the founding principals of Carrier and Company Interiors, are a husband-and-wife interior design duo who create rooms that offer a confident mix of timeless and contemporary design—both familiar and fresh at once. Their guiding philosophy connects clients with their spaces in a manner that reflects the distinct and singular nature of both. From bohemian glamour to country charm, from modern luxe to the timeless and ineffable, and from the historically informed to the tailored and refined, the Carriers delight in adapting their impassioned sensibility to the unique elements each project presents.

Their latest monograph, Defining Chic: Carrier and Company Interiors (Rizzoli), showcases homes that express their clients’ personalities and dreams through the practical filters of lifestyle and location while revealing the design principles behind them. The range of projects includes a historic, art-filled New York duplex replete with period vestiges; an updated Mediterranean-style Southern California house with an art deco-era core; and a refreshed Connecticut lakeside retreat with glass expanses designed to capture stunning views. Discrete touches revealed throughout this body of work highlight the overall Carrier effect. This book will appeal to design fans who appreciate chic, livable spaces.The Carriers have been sought out by leading furnishing manufacturers to bring their unique vision of home and interiors to a wider audience. Carrier and Company Collections can be found at Century Furniture (upholstery and case goods), Visual Comfort (decorative lighting), Lee Jofa (fabric and wallpaper), Loloi (area rugs), and Soicher Marin (custom framed art). These partnerships showcase the Carriers’ talent for bucking trends while remaining current, combining elegance with livability.

Named to the prestigious Architectural Digest AD100 and Elle Decor A-List, the Carriers have garnered accolades from some of the world’s most prominent publications, including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Town & Country, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Veranda, Luxe Interiors + Design, Milieu, and World of Interiors.

Jesse and Mara met at The Fashion Institute of Technology and worked for several AD100 interior design firms before establishing Carrier and Company Interiors in 2005. They live in New York City and the Hudson Valley with their two children.

Beth Diana Smith is the CEO and Principal Designer of Beth Diana Smith Interior Design, a full-service interior design firm focused on discerning clients who want curated homes with thoughtful details. She prides herself on her bold, eclectic style while creating a home's story through renovation, curated pieces, and customized design. Her goal for each client is to help them see another realm of possibility in how they can live.

After spending more than a decade in corporate accounting and finance at companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Viacom, Beth decided to pursue interior design full-time, obtaining a degree from the New York School of Interior Design. She brought along a distinct set of skills, including budget management, presentation creation based on client needs, and the ability to adapt quickly. These skills allow her to manage clients' budgets, oversee business operations, and project manage, in addition to applying the design skills and creativity required for each project.

Beth has appeared on NBC and HGTV, and has been featured in several media outlets including House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Real Simple, The Washington Post, Business of Home, and The Wall Street Journal. She is proudly a founding member of the Black Artists + Designers Guild, an associate of the American Society of Interior Designers, a member of the Design Leadership Council, and a member of the Black Interior Designers Network.