This year’s Parsons School of Design Benefit has a high-wattage star attached: none other than Bad Gal RiRi herself. Rihanna will be honored — alongside Eileen Fisher and Neiman Marcus — at the school’s 69th annual benefit, taking place on May 22 at Pier 60.
“Parsons is proud to present Rihanna with this honor, as she has inspired millions through her powerful music and distinct style,” said Joel Towers, the school’s executive dean, in a statement. “She has championed our recent alumni on a number of occasions by wearing their designs. She is also creating important philanthropic programs, which support communities by fostering effective education, health, and emergency response programs around the world through her Clara Lionel Foundation.”
“It’s such a thrill to know that a design school as prestigious as Parsons School of Design would present me with this honor,” Rihanna said in the statement. “I consistently find creative and exciting designs coming from Parsons alumni, so I feel a deep connection to the school.” (She’s worn pieces by several recent grads, including Matthew Adams Dolan and Melody Ya Jun Lin.) “But I am especially grateful that Parsons would recognize me for the work I’ve done in regards to philanthropy.” It’s not the only laurel she’s gotten recently for her charity work: Harvard named her its Humanitarian of the Year last month, an award she accepted with an immortal ponytail flick.
