In Conversation With Cara Delevingne: The Center for Youth Mental Health Hosted an Inspiring Dinner for Its 10-Year Anniversary

In a conversation with Vogue.com editor Chioma Nnadi, Cara Delevingne, who recently shared her mental health journey as part of Vogue’s April cover story, again took the stage to further de-stigmatize the conversation around mental health. As Sienna Miller, who co-hosted the evening along with Dr. Zandy Forbes, put it in her introduction, Delevingne was often “grappling with an inner life that was in turmoil,” at the very moment when her career was taking off. This came with almost unimaginable pressures. The decision to come forward with real honesty was not an easy one, as Delevingne says, but it was one she felt committed to—and one that has had profound rewards. “Whether it was anxiety or depression, it was all a result of not speaking about my feelings, not knowing how to process emotions,” she said.

Delevingne, who sat on a stage flanked by large urns of vibrant foliage, has seen the impact of her honesty not just in terms of helping herself, but also in the effect it’s had on other people. “I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘You really helped me come out and be a queer person,’ or, ‘When you spoke about depression and anxiety, it really helped me.’ And that made me go, Oh, this is all worth it,” she told Nnadi. That kind of reinforcement doesn’t happen all the time, the actor noted, but the rewards of being sober and in recovery are tangible to her every day. “During the past six months, even when I’m having a bad day, it’s still the best day.”

After the discussion, guests—who included physicians from The Center for Youth Mental Health like Dr. Francis Lee, Dr. Anne Marie Albano, Dr. Philip Wilner, Dr. H. Blair Simpson, and Dr. Rebecca Rendleman, as well as notable figures who have also done their part to make the conversation around mental health more open, such as Demi Lovato and Camila Cabello—descended several floors for a dinner at Veronika. There, doctors were seated with figures from the world of fashion—including Emily Adams Bode Aujla, Christopher John Rogers, and Wes Gordon, among others. Jordan Roth and his husband Richie Jackson were in attendance, as were Derek Blasberg, Nick Brown, Jerry Speyer and Katherine Farley, Joey Masiyiwa, Tancredi di Carcaci, Tamara Mellon, and Wendi Murdoch.

The night raised $4 million for the Center and was a potent reminder of the impact that can be accomplished through storytelling and connection.