In Conversation With Cara Delevingne: The Youth Anixery Center Hosted an Inspiring Dinner for its 10-Year Anniversary

In a conversation with editor of Vogue.com 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 put it in her introduction to the conversation, 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 Youth Anxiety Center like Dr. Francis Lee, Dr. Anne Marie Albano, Dr. Philip Wilner, Dr. Rebecca Rendleman, as well as notable figures who have also done their part to make the conversation around mental health open, such as Demi Lovato and Camilla Cabello—descended several floors for a dinner at Veronika. There, doctors were seated with figures from worlds of fashion—including Emily Bode, Christopher John Rogers, and Wes Gordon, among others—philanthropy, and beyond. The night raised millions for the Center and was a potent reminder of the impact that can be accomplished through story-telling and connection.