CFDA member Ron Chereskin has been commissioned to create a commemorative flag honoring the life and legacy of pioneering architect Horace Gifford as part of the Fire Island Pines Foundation’s Trailblazer Park, a public space dedicated to individuals whose work and lives have made a lasting impact on the Pines community.

Gifford, a gay architect working in the 1960s and 1970s, played a defining role in shaping the modern architectural identity of Fire Island and Long Island. Through a deeply personal approach to Modernism, he developed a design language that emphasized openness, light, and harmony with the natural landscape. His work not only reflected the era’s creative experimentation but also offered a sense of refuge and self-expression for a generation of LGBTQ+ residents and visitors.

Following his death from AIDS-related complications in 1992, Gifford’s contributions were largely overlooked for years, until a renewed interest by design scholars and enthusiasts brought overdue recognition to his influence on American residential architecture.

Chereskin’s involvement in the tribute is both professional and deeply personal. A longtime CFDA member known for his expressive, color-driven work and his lasting contributions to American fashion, Chereskin has consistently blurred the lines between art, design, and cultural storytelling throughout his career. His connection to Gifford’s legacy is literal: Chereskin owns a home designed by Gifford, originally built in 1964 as a joint venture between furniture magnate Angelo Donghia and the late fashion designer Halston, two close collaborators and central figures in the creative ecosystem of the time.

The 36 x 24-inch flag artwork designed by Chereskin reflects this intersection of fashion, architecture, and queer cultural history. Created as a symbol of remembrance and visibility, the flag will fly in Trailblazer Park as part of an ongoing effort to honor individuals who helped shape Fire Island Pines as a site of creativity, resilience, and community.

Extending the gesture further, Chereskin will personally hand-screen eight prints of the flag for Horace Gifford homeowners, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of design history and participate in the preservation of Gifford’s legacy.

Through this commission, Chereskin underscores the enduring power of creative lineage, honoring a visionary whose work continues to inform the present, and ensuring that Gifford’s contributions to American architecture and LGBTQ+ cultural history remain visible for generations to come.