Excitement was in the air Monday morning at the LGBT Center in Los Angeles – all in anticipation of a very fashionable guest. Outside the organization that provides programs and services for the LGBTQ community, a crowd of fashionable onlookers had gathered in their best looks to get a glimpse of Donatella Versace.

Ms. Versace arrived early to take a tour of the nonprofit ahead of her keynote conversation, which was open to the public. The visit was in celebration of the new scholarship program for LGBTQ+ students, created in partnership with the CFDA and supported by Versace Foundation. Also in the audience were a select group of design students from Otis College of Art and Design, who also had time to meet with Ms. Versace after the conversation.

To accompany her visit, the CFDA brought the designers Pia Davis of No Sesso and Sergio Hudson to host a “fashion masterclass” with young people enrolled in the Center’s Youth Academy. The Los Angeles LGBT Center offers a wide range of programs and services for LGBTQ+ youth, including housing and education services, school-based programs, the LifeWorks mentorship program, and Models of Pride—the world’s largest free conference for LGBTQ+ youth. The CFDA designers were also joined by senior members of the Versace design team, where they shared career advice in an intimate conversation with the youth group.

Ms. Versace sat down with the Center’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Phillip Picardi, for a fireside chat about her career in fashion and her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.

“I was truly honored to be at the Los Angeles LGBT Center today to officially launch our scholarship with the CFDA to support LGBTQ+ students. Seeing the work of this incredible organization in person was so important for me. The support they give to the people who need it most is invaluable, and I am thrilled to be a small part of helping the work they do.  It was also a wonderful chance to bring together our fashion community.  Together we are all stronger,” said Donatella Versace.

View photos from the event, and stay tuned for more updates on the scholarship.