Since 1984, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) has provided over $43 million in support to hundreds of HIV/AIDS organizations around the world. This grassroots organization has funded programs providing care, treatment, education, and prevention within the national HIV/AIDS community. It has been at the forefront of supporting programs providing the protection of legal rights and security of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Through various unique fundraising events, DIFFA has been able to leverage the resources of the design community to improve the lives of thousands living with this terrible disease. Dining By Design is such an event. This year was the spectacle’s 21^st anniversary.

The event is truly a feast of opulence and creativity. Dining vignettes are created by major organizations, manufacturers, and cutting-edge interior designers. Each setting is unique--showcasing the talents of those involved; each with its own theme and story to tell.

This year, Dining By Design was held simultaneously with the Architectural Digest Design Show at Piers 92 & 94 on the west side of Manhattan. For those interested in interior design, this 5-day event is truly one that must be experienced.

This year, I attended.

First stop: Dining By Design/Pier 92. Arriving early, I was able to avoid the eminent crowds. The vignettes were neatly organized and professionally lit, thereby creating emotional drama throughout. I wandered this maze of creativity, pausing to absorb the lush details and provocative meaning of each setting. They were simply stunning!

There were 28 installations in total. While styles ranged from exotic fantasy-to-casual reality, each had a message of the DIFFA cause woven into it.

I left the show feeling a sense of community among the design industry.

---A reason to be proud. A reason to care. A reason to be.

This was A Moment in America.