Parsons School of Design’s Healthy Materials Lab Celebrates 10 Years of Advancing Healthier Design at Brooklyn Gala
The event on September 9, 2025 will honor Kay Unger and Jamie Drake for visionary leadership in design and advocacy
August 11, 2025, New York, NY – Parsons School of Design’s Healthy Materials Lab (HML) will celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, with a one-night-only gala at Carroll Hall in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The evening will honor two champions of health, creativity, and equity in design: Kay Unger, fashion designer and philanthropist, and award-winning interior designer Jamie Drake.
Hosted in Carroll Hall’s lush garden and indoor gallery, the celebration will include a networking reception, a curated exhibition of innovative, healthy materials with a silent auction, and ten live musical performances from The New School’s College of Performing Arts, as well as seasonal, sustainably sourced food and drink. The evening reflects HML’s multidisciplinary commitment to creativity, education, community, and environmental health.
Founded in 2015 at Parsons School of Design, Healthy Materials Lab has become a national leader in transforming the built environment through design research, education, and advocacy for healthier materials. The gala will raise funds to expand the Lab’s impact through continued research, scholarships, assistantships, and public resources that empower healthier building practices across industries.
“This celebration marks a decade of challenging the building industry to prioritize human and environmental health,” says Alison Mears, Executive Director and Co-founder of Healthy Materials Lab. “We’re thrilled to honor Kay and Jamie, two trailblazers whose creative leadership embodies the values at the core of our work,” adds Jonsara Ruth, Executive Design Director and Co-founder of the Lab.
“I’ve been a supporter of the Parsons Healthy Materials Lab since its founding 10 years ago. Their mission immediately captivated me,” says interior designer Jamie Drake. “I had long spoken about the ever-increasing global concern for our planet and the environment, and I saw their mission as a necessity for designers of today and tomorrow. Sustainability is a wonderful opportunity for job growth and creative solutions in the design community. The HML is a unique resource to design a healthier future, and their proven impact to date has been extraordinary. As the number one design school in America, Parsons is the perfect home for this initiative.”
“I’m honored to be recognized by the Healthy Materials Lab, whose work is redefining how design can improve both human health and the planet,” says Kay Unger. “Their Donghia Healthier Materials Library showcases over 2,000 materials for students and researchers to explore for health, environmental, and performance qualities. One of my favorite memories is their AfterTaste project, where students transformed an entire floor in just one week—designing, building, and even preparing the food themselves. It was a powerful reminder that creativity and purpose can spark real change, and I’m proud to support their mission as we celebrate this milestone, inviting the design community to help shape the next 10 years of a healthier materials lab.”
For sponsorships, donations, and ticket packages, contact Ahalia Persaud at healthymaterialslab@newschool.edu or find information here https://hml10.splashthat.com/.
Event Details:
Healthy Materials Lab 10th Anniversary Celebration
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 5:30 – 9:30 PM
Carroll Hall, Bushwick, Brooklyn
JAMIE DRAKE
Interior designer Jamie Drake is renowned for his vibrant style and mastery of historical and contemporary design. Since launching his business in 1978 after graduating from Parsons School of Design, he’s created elegant interiors for cosmopolitan penthouses, oceanfront estates, private foundations, and medical facilities. His civic work includes the restoration of Gracie Mansion and rooms at City Hall during Mayor Bloomberg’s tenure. Drake’s luxury product lines span furniture, carpets, lighting, and more. A frequent fixture in Architectural Digest, ELLE Decor, and House Beautiful, he is an AD100 Hall of Fame inductee and ASID Fellow. Deeply philanthropic, Drake is chairman of the New York Community Trust and sits on the board of Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and Parsons School of Design.
KAY UNGER
Kay Unger is a New York-based fashion designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She founded and led global fashion brands including Kay Unger New York, A.J. Bari, and Phoebe Couture, and now helms Kay Unger Design. She is Creative Director at Line in the Sand, a sun-protective waterwear brand that supports cancer research and ocean initiatives using sustainable fabric crafted from upcycled ocean plastic waste. Kay is CEO of the Kay Unger Family Foundation, which supports cancer research and provides scholarships for underrepresented youth in the arts. She also holds leadership roles with the Women’s Business Collaborative, the Philip Johnson Glass House, Promise Project, City of Hope, and C200. She serves on the boards of The New York Stem Cell Foundation, The New School, and Parsons School of Design.