OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom — After three days of intimate gatherings, riveting talks and surprising industry revelations on stage, the ninth edition of BoF VOICES concluded with its annual Gala.
Guests filed into a cavernous, candle lit glasshouse, posing for pictures with friends old and new on the red carpet before the evening’s programme began, where they toasted a week well spent in the picturesque English countryside.
As many people — VOICES veterans and first timers alike — reflected on the days gone by, they settled on a common theme: change.
Denis Okwera, model and founder of the Lumule Foundation, said: “Everyone here is working to make the world a better place in their own way.”
“I hope we finally decide to accept that the world isn’t black or white — there are 700 shades of grey,” added French drag queen Nicky Doll, who elicited raucous laughter and uninterrupted concentration from the audience packed into the auditorium earlier Thursday.
As guests enjoyed their meals, in partnership with Penfolds wine, and a moving performance from saxophonist Cktrl, another successful year at Soho Farmhouse drew to a close. As BoF founder and chief executive Imran Amed addressed the gala, he asked a few attendees what their key takeaway was from the past days.
The words “freedom” and “hope” were repeatedly referenced by those called upon, including photographer Giles Duley, performance artist and designer Alok Menon and former model, agent and advocate Bethann Hardison.
As many of the talks this week referenced, turmoil in the fashion industry and the world at large calls for unity and collective action from creatives and business executives alike.
“This year especially, when there is so much going on in the world, our duty as artists is to start certain conversations and now more than ever it’s important to have space for that here,” said poet and trans visibility activist Kai Isaiah Jamal, whose moving performance opened the final content session of the week earlier on Thursday.
The BoF VOICES 2024 gala dinner finished with a special after-party with music by London-born DJ Syndey Lima.
BoF VOICES 2024 is made possible in part by our partners Shop with Google, Amazon Fashion, McKinsey & Company, Getty Images, Soho House, Blacklane and Penfolds. If you are interested in learning about partnership opportunities for 2025, please contact us here.
