Gloria Steinem Honored as Inaugural Changemaker for The Shift

gloria steinem at a dinner in her honor hosted by the shift — (Image credit: Huy Luong)

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.

gloria steinem poses with a group of guests smiling at an event — Gloria Steinem (center) poses with guests at The Shift's dinner.

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.”

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photography duo inez and vinoodh, wearing black pants and a sparkly black top and a black suit, pose together at an event — Photographers Inez & Vinoodh pose together at the event.

Gloria's legacy is our masterclass in resilience and voice; for young change-makers, it's the playbook for boldness.

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.”

vicky inez and shilpa y pose together smiling at an event — Vicky Tsai, Inez, and Shilpa Yarlagadda pose together.

Neha Prakash is Marie Claire's Entertainment Director, where she edits, writes, and ideates culture and current event features with a focus on elevating diverse voices and stories in film and television. She steers and books the brand's print and digital covers as well as oversees the talent and production on MC's video franchises like "How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?" and flagship events, including the Power Play summit. Since joining the team in early 2020, she's produced entertainment packages, helped oversee SEO content, commissioned op-eds from notable writers, and penned widely-shared celebrity profiles. She also assists with social coverage around major red carpet events, having conducted interviews at the Met Gala, Oscars, and Golden Globes. Follow her on Instagram @nehapk.