Mayor Pete Buttigieg Captures the Fashion Crowd

Even before he said a word, Mayor Pete Buttigieg got a standing ovation from fashion's establishment on Monday night in New York. The presidential candidate was receiving an honor from God's Love We Deliver, the non-profit that delivers meals to people who are too sick to cook for themselves, and perhaps because the evening was co-chaired by Michael Kors and Anna Wintour, the fashion vote turned up in force—Iman and Estée Lauder's John Demsey, both honorees; the models Winnie Harlow, Karen Elson, Halima Aden, Imaan Hamman, and Jessica Joffe; and a slew of entertainment personalities, like Lupita Nyong'o, Tiffany Haddish, Marisa Tomei, Audra McDonald, and Neil Patrick Harris (many dressed in Kors). But it was Buttigieg, dubbed 'Citizen Pete' by The Inheritance playwright Matthew Lopez, who preached to the choir. "The time is here for leadership that calls out for what is great in us," he said. Twelve minutes later, following remarks packed with ready-for-the-stump lines like, "You cannot love your country if you hate half the people who are in it," the crowd was again on its feet. Later, when Iman accepted her award, she delivered more good news for the candidate: He's up in the polls in Iowa. The evening raised $2.9 million for the New York charity.