THE 2011 FIT COUTURE COUNCIL ARTISTRY OF FASHION AWARD LUNCHEON

NEW YORK-SEPTEMBER 7: The 2011 FIT COUTURE COUNCIL ARTISTRY OF FASHION AWARD LUNCHEON on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, New York City. The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology honored Valentino with their 2011 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion on Wednesday September 7, 2011 at a benefit luncheon for over 500 fashion insiders at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, New York City. As has become the tradition, this luncheon heralds the arrival of Fall Fashion Week. 1stdibs, the luxury on-line retailer, was a sponsor of the luncheon and a generous supporter of the museum and its activities. The Board of Directors of the Couture Council includes Chair Elizabeth T. Peek and Vice Chair Yaz Hernandez. Luncheon Chairs included Anne H. Bass, Charlotte Moss, Diane von Furstenberg, and Daphne Guinness,whose personal collection will be the subject of a major exhibition opening at The Museum at FIT on September 16. A number of Valentino’s masterpieces will be featured in this exhibition. Celebrities attending included: Swizz Beatz, Koby Bryant, Frederic Fekkai, Daphne Guinness, Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump, and Paula Zahn. Fashion industry guests included: Iris Apfel, Gilles Bensimon, Hamish Bowles, Glenda Bailey, Simon Doonan, Ken Downing, Linda Fargo, Nina Garcia, Carolina Herrera, Tamara Mellon, Nadja Swarovski, Andre Leon Talley, Diane von Furstenberg, and Anna Wintour. Honorary Luncheon Chairs included Donna Acquavella, Marisa Berenson, Georgina Brandolini, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Anna Carter, Claire Danes, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Mica Ertegün, HRH Princess Firyal of Jordan, Charlene de Ganay, Susan Gutfreund, Anne Hathaway, Iman, Deborra-lee Jackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Pilar Crespi Robert, Allison Sarofim, André Leon Talley, Barbara Walters, and Natalia Vodianov. Dr. Joyce F. Brown, President, Fashion Institute of Technology and Dr. Valerie Steele, Director, The Museum AT FIT were in attendance representing The Museum at FIT. As has become a tradition, Simon Doonan served as master of ceremonies, introducing Dr. Joyce F. Brown, President of FIT. Charlotte Moss thanked her fellow Luncheon Chairs Anna Bass, Daphne Guinness, and Diane von Furstenberg. Anna Wintour presented the Artistry of Fashion Award to Valentino. Liz Peek, Founder and Chairman of the Couture Council, shared closing remarks. Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT, announced, “Valentino was chosen in recognition of his status as a world-historical figure in modern fashion, a man who has dressed every beautiful woman of the past 50 years, from Jacqueline Kennedy to Madonna. Valentino's concept of beauty is Apollonian in its classicism and perfect taste. Yet red, the color of love and passion, runs like a leitmotif through his career, asserting his passionate love of beauty. In today’s world of an often debased celebrity culture, Valentino’s dresses continue to assert an aristocratic ideal of art and beauty.” FIT president, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, noted, “We are delighted to have this opportunity to honor Valentino, who, through his timeless and elegant designs, is a legend to all those who love fashion. He is an inspiration not only to students of fashion – like those at FIT – but to his fellow designers as well.” About The Museum at FIT: The Museum at FIT is the only museum in New York City dedicated solely to the art of fashion. Best known for its innovative and award-winning exhibitions, which have been described by Roberta Smith in The New York Times as “ravishing,” the museum has a collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present. Like other fashion museums, such as the Musée de la Mode, the Mode Museum, and the Museo de la Moda, The Museum at FIT collects, conserves, documents, exhibits, and interprets fashion. The museum’s mission is to advance knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. About FIT:The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), of which The Museum at FIT is a part, is a college of art and design, business and technology that educates more than 10,000 students annually. FIT is a college of the State University of New York (SUNY), and offers 46 majors leading to the AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees. For more about FIT visit www.fitnyc.edu. PHOTO CREDIT: Copyright ©Manhattan Society.com 2011 | tel: Private | e-mail: bookings@manhattansociety.com More Photos & ID's Coming Shortly