Ward Landrigan and Nico Landrigan, Chairman and President of Verdura, hosted an invitation-only party to honor FIT’s Couture Council members and their tireless support of The Museum at FIT, Manhattan’s premiere museum of fashion. Joining the Landrigan's at their jewelry-box salon overlooking Central Park was co-host Eleanora Kennedy, Couture Council Board member, and Valerie Steele, Director of the Museum at FIT.

The guest list included: Noreen Ahmad, James Andrews, Elizabeth M. Armstrong, Louisa Bacharia, Marlene & Maurice Barr, Melissa Berkelhammer, Geoffrey Bradfield, Catherine Carey, Alyson Cafiero, Susan Calhoun Moss, Bonnie Cantor, Liliana Cavendis, Kirsten Chilstrom, Nedinia Criag, Antoinette Denisof, Michelle Lin Greenip, Susan Gutfreund, Montague Hackett, Carole Divet Harting, Elizabeth Haynes, Yaz Hernandez, Mary Hillard, Sharon Hoge, Chiu-Ti Jansen, Nicole Jones, Robyn Josephy, Ray and Karen Karlsrud, Eleanora and Michael Kennedy, Bonnie & Michael Kolblenz, Alexandra Lebenthal, Brenda Levin, Kamie Lightburn, Laura Lofaro Freeman, Chloe Malle, Sarah Mandato, Livia E. Marotta, Sylvester& Gillian Miniter, Alison Minton, Lindsay Moore, Maggie Norris, Rosemary Panzo, Liz Peek, Heidi Pelczar, Bambi Putnam, Barbara Regna, Pascale Richard, Annette Rickel, Clint Rodenberg, Alexa Rudulfo, Anita Roselle, Angela Rothfield, Alan Ruby, Vivian Ruggiero, Annie Safir, Jean Shafiroff, Yoo Rang Shon, Elaine Sourlis, Valerie Steele, Bobby Strutnam, Silvana Suaraz, Jeffrey Thomas and Sarah Wolf.

Mrs. Kennedy wore one of the Vintage Verdura, a 1967 Lily of the Valley Brooch of gold, platinum, emeralds, diamonds and pearls, which was commissioned in the 1940s by Baroness Liliane de Rothschild and crafted from the baby teeth of her children (now replaced by pearls).

About the Couture Council: The Couture Council is a membership group dedicated to supporting The Museum at FIT, a specialized museum of fashion. The Couture Council helps make it possible for the Museum to mount world-class exhibitions of fashion, to acquire important objects for its permanent collection, and to organize public programs, such as the annual fashion symposium. The Couture Council accomplishes these goals through collecting membership dues and by organizing fundraising events such as the annual Couture Council Awards Luncheon, which presents a chosen designer with the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion.

About Verdura: Verdura is a fine jeweler and specialty retailer, whose merchandise assortment is based primarily on the fabrication of jewelry from the archives of Duke Fulco Di Verdura. Also included in this extensive selection of Verdura jewelry are vintage and estate, as well as timepieces and a sterling silver gift collection. Verdura is involved in product design, manufacturing and retailing activities.

Verdura was established in 1939 by Fulco di Verdura, a Sicilian duke who began his career as Coco Chanel’s head jewelry designer. After eight years with Chanel, and most notably, designing the Maltese Cross brooches and cuffs, Verdura embarked to America in 1934. With a Hollywood connection through his close friend Cole Porter, Verdura designed colorful jewels for stars of the era, including Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth and Katharine Hepburn. Eventually, Verdura settled in New York on Fifth Avenue (Cole Porter and Vincent Astor were his financial backers) and immediately gained following with fashion’s best-dressed list (Babe Paley was his muse and one of his best clients). Verdura, appointed "America's Crown Jeweler" by the New York Times, was one of the premier jewelry designers of the 20th century. In 1985, Ward Landrigan purchased Verdura and continued the tradition of creating timeless designs from the nearly 10,000 sketches Fulco made in his lifetime. In 2003, his son, Nico, joined him in the family business and currently serves as President alongside his father, who is the Chairman and CEO. Today, Verdura continues to appear on the pages of the top fashion books and walks the red carpet on celebrity fans, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Anne Hathaway and Cameron Diaz.

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