Gala 2026

Considered one of the most thoughtful talents of his generation, Sofield, a Modernist by temperament and a Historicist by training, believes that design must live as well as it looks. His holistic approach renders beguiling and seamlessly practical solutions from an artistic concept that is balanced by an unfailing sensitivity to the individual’s needs and tastes. Sofield’s desire is to imbue spaces with respect for materiality and fidelity to craft, sophisticated luxury that improves with use and age. His architecture, interiors, and landscapes become places of memory and legacy.  

Studio Sofield was founded in 1996 as a workshop dedicated to creative collaborations and the expressed goal of integrating multiple disciplines. With exceptional elegance, clarity, and wit, Studio Sofield injects unalloyed excitement into the practice of design and architecture, creating spaces that reshape the boundaries of art and craft, reality and fantasy, history and the present moment.  

Sofield received his degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University, followed by an academic focus on Art History and European Cultural Studies. He was awarded the Helena Rubinstein Fellowship from Whitney Museum of American Art for curatorial work in the Independent Study Program. In addition to numerous recognitions, Sofield was honored by the Cooper Hewitt with the National Design Award for Interior Design in 2010 and the Museum of Arts and Design Award in 2021. Consistently named in the Architectural Digest’s 100 Hall of Fame, and a Titan on Elle Décor’s A-List, he has been inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame as well. He received The Excellence in New Design award by the Upper East Side Historic District in New York and was twice presented with the Architectural Commission of Beverly Hills’ design award for Excellence in Architecture. Sofield serves on the Boards of the Wolfsonian Museum and the Glass House. 

Leading a team of 100 in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, Ken Fulk Inc.’s projects range from private compounds and high-concept hospitality to boats, planes, and once-in-a-lifetime parties. With retail shops in LA and San Francisco, his entertaining essentials, custom scents, and decorative accessories have been curated to design a well-lived life. He oversees every aspect of a project—from concept and branding to the uniforms and guest rituals. Fulk goes far beyond design; he serves as a creative director for Carbone and Major Food Group, helping define their meteoric expansion of restaurants across the globe, and he partnered with Pharrell Williams to launch his foray into hospitality with The Goodtime Hotel in Miami.  

Fulk has reimagined how we gather in a contemporary world by leading the creation of three modern-day social clubs: The Battery in San Francisco, The ‘Quin House in Boston, and The Commodore Perry Estate in Austin. In 2018, Fulk founded Saint Joseph’s Arts Society, a non-profit dedicated to supporting local artists and creatives at revitalized historic landmarks in San Francisco and Provincetown, Massachusetts. He was christened “The Incredible Fulk” by The Economist. He has been a fixture on Architectural Digest’s AD100, Elle Décor’s A-List, and Luxe's Gold List. He was inducted into Hospitality Design’s Platinum Circle Hall of Fame and was recently applauded as Design LA’s “Living Legend” award. He’s been a winner of multiple Restaurant & Bar Design Awards and was twice nominated for the James Beard Design Award.

Brooke Lichtenstein ’10 (BFA) and Yiannos Vrousgos ’10 (BFA) are co-founders and partners at INPUT, a New York City-based interior design firm that has become synonymous with innovation in commercial interiors and luxury multifamily developments.

In 2010, while participating in the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) Dining by Design initiative, Lichtenstein partnered with fellow designer and now husband Vrousgos.

Under their leadership, INPUT has been recognized as one of New York City’s premier design firms, with projects featured in Interior Design , Frame, The New York Times, New York YIMBY, The Real Deal and more. The firm’s clients include industry leaders such as Lenovo, Samsung, Bozzuto, the Rabsky Group, JCS and the Jay Group.

When not designing, they enjoy spending quality time together with their two children, whether in their Manhattan home or escaping to their weekend retreat in the Hudson Valley.