A luminous dinner, designed for the senses.
In a quiet corner of Manhattan’s Financial District, a former office building was transformed — not with fanfare, but with light. A single, continuous 100-foot line of custom office fixtures sliced through the room, forming the centerpiece for WE ARE ONA’s New York City opening.
The table was long. The mood was intentional. The design? Nearly invisible — which made it all the more powerful. Created by Luca Pronzato and his global team of culinary visionaries, the event brought together food, fashion, architecture, and performance into something that defied categories. It wasn’t just a dinner. It was a living installation.
As a photographer, this wasn’t the kind of evening you capture passively. You respond to it. You read the room. You wait for the flicker of movement between courses, the flicker of shadow under glass. You shoot like you’re part of the design.
Textures layered without shouting. The air carried warmth and sound. Guests moved slowly, as if aware they were part of something fleeting. These are the moments I’m always chasing — the ones where nothing is staged, but everything is composed.
A few of my favorite images from the night are below.
Grateful to have been part of something so thoughtfully curated.
Photography by Ali Valdez
Event: WE ARE ONA | New York City Opening Night
Location: WSA Building, 180 Maiden Lane, NYC
Creative Direction: Luca Pronzato + WE ARE ONA Team
