Gloria Steinem Honored as Inaugural Changemaker for The Shift

Throughout her life, Gloria Steinem has worked tirelessly to get women a seat at the table. So it’s only fitting for Steinem to be honored for that decades-long commitment with a full-on dinner party. Hosted by The Shift on October 16 in New York City, the occasion brought together fellow activists, fashion insiders, and celebrities to mark Steinem’s contribution to gender equality.

Steinem’s acclaimed career is most closely associated with her work to tell women’s stories, particularly as a co-founder of the feminist publication Ms. Magazine in 1972. Now, at 90, she’ll celebrate a return to magazines as the first face of The Shift, a semi-annual social impact publication. During the event, Steinem was presented with her cover image, shot by famed photographers Inez & Vinoodh, who served as the dinner's co-hosts alongside social entrepreneur and Shiffon Co. founder Shilpa Yarlagadda.

The night featured several notable guests, including supermodel Irina Shayk, author and host Padma Lakshmi, actress Anna-Sophia Robb, stylist Sarah Slutsky, climate activist Sophia Lia, and YouTuber and designer Mai Pham.

"Gloria's legacy is our masterclass in resilience and voice; for young change-makers, it's the playbook for boldness,” Pham tells Marie Claire. “The Shift dinner was a brilliant bunch of women, dishing out ideas, and passing plates piled high with empowerment.”

The evening’s celebrations not only toasted Steinem, the brand’s “inaugural changemaker,” but also Vicky Tsai, founder of skincare brand Tatcha for her commitment to providing girls access to education and investing in the next generation of female leaders. Thanks to Tsai's early partnership with the non-profit Room to Read, Tatcha has contributed over 10 million days of school to girls in low-income communities around the world.

“I am profoundly grateful to Gloria Steinem for forging a path for women like myself,” Tsai tells Marie Claire. “To sit beside her, amidst social entrepreneurs, activists, and artists devoted to a brighter future, was deeply moving. Receiving her recognition as a changemaker fills me with humility and hope.”