The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology honored Michael Kors with its 2013 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion on Wednesday, September 4, 2013, at a benefit luncheon at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, New York City. As has become the tradition, this luncheon heralds the arrival of Fall Fashion Week.

The Couture Council Luncheon began with cocktails on the David H. Koch Theater terrace, which overlooked the Fashion Week tents. Guests were then ushered into the theater’s promenade for a three-course luncheon. Kamie Lightburn and Jieun Wax, the luncheon chairs, were the first speakers. They welcomed guests and introduced Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT who said: “Every time you see one of Michael’s advertisements, you just want to BE that woman – so chic, so glamorous, jet-setting around the world in her sunglasses – and in the company of a handsome, glamorous man. So thank you, Michael, for all you do for the women of the world!”

Dr. Joyce Brown, president of FIT, announced the 2013 Michael Kors Scholarship winner, third-semester student Kim Nguyen, and thanked Michael Kors for his support of FIT. After the main course had been served, the chairman of the FIT Board of Trustees, Liz Peek, introduced Hilary Swank, who presented the Artistry of Fashion Award to Michael Kors, which was the highlight of the day. And a luncheon raffle prize was a stunning Asprey’s Life Ring of yellow and white gold rope. The Museum at FIT Couture Council Chairman, Yaz Hernandez, closed the event by thanking everyone for their support.

The luncheon’s menu began with a chilled sweet pea tarragon soup, topped with crispy shallots, buttery croutons, and radish. As a main course, guests enjoyed a Cobb salad with organic chicken, applewood smoked bacon, and Great Hill blue cheese. For dessert, ice cream sundaes and special FIT Couture Council cupcakes were served.


The Luncheon Chairs are Kamie Lightburn and Jieun Wax, and the Honorary Luncheon Chairs are Lauren duPont, Linda Fargo, Vanessa Getty, Patti Hansen, Iman, Karolína Kurková, Aerin Lauder, Sandra Lee, Crystal Lourd, Alexandra Richards,Theodora Richards, Renee Rockefeller, Jamie Tisch, Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis,Elettra Wiedemann, and Anna Wintour.

Guests who attended the luncheon included: Amsale Aberra, Reem Acra, Marc Anthony, Iris Apfel, Nina Arianda, Fabiola Arias, Glenda Bailey, Dennis Basso, Cathie Black, Andrew Bolton, Hamish Bowles, Geoffrey Bradfield, Mario Buatta, Robin Burns-McNeill, Sharon Bush, Lisa Cashin, Kathryn Chenault, Barbara Cirkva, Suzi Cordish, Christina Davis, John Dempsey, Carole Divet Harting, Simon Doonan, Linda Fargo, Fe Fendi, Amy Fine Collins, Joele Frank, Ron Frasch, Nina Garcia, Michele Gerber Klein, Marjorie Gordon, Jamee Gregory, Audrey Gruss, Cornelia Guest, Agnes Gund, Sharon Handler Loeb, Patti Hansen, Amanda Hearst, Celia Hegyi, Yaz Hernandez, Judith Hoffman, Iman, Chiu-Ti Jansen, Kimberly Kassel, Mariana Kaufman, Eleanora Kennedy, Coco Kopelman, Karen LeFrak, Leonard Lauder, Alexandra Lebenthal, Larry Leeds, Heather Leeds, Petra Levin, Kamie Lightburn, Jaqui Lividini, Carol Mack, Julie Macklowe, Fern Mallis, Grace Meigher, B. Michael, Gillian Miniter, Natalie Morales, Josie Natori, Liz Peek, John Pomerantz, Ann Rapp, Alexandra Richards, Theodora Richards, Darcy Rigas, Muna Rihani al Nasser, Judith Ripka, Sheryl Schwartz, Pete Scotese, Jean Shafiroff, Nancy Shaw Michelle Smith, Martha Stewart, Hilary Swank, Diana Taylor, Jamie Tisch, Lizzie Tisch, Barbara Tober, Zang Toi, Stefano Tonchi, John Truex, Kay Unger, Bronson van Wyck, Robert Verdi, Jieun Wax, Anna Wintour, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Sarah Wolfe, Whitney Wolfe  and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia.

Photos by Jonathan Zeigler of Patrick McMullan Company

On Monday, February 24, 2014 Couture Council Board Member, Celia Hegyi, hosted an evening of cocktails at the Reed Krakoff store on Madison Avenue in New York City for Couture Council members.  Reed Krakoff led a conversation about his 20-year career in fashion, photography and the arts with Dr. Valerie Steele, Director of The Museum at FIT.

Guests Included: Alyson Cafiero, Christina Davis, Joele Frank, Yaz Hernandez, Chiu-Ti Jansen, 

Gemma Kahng, Robin Katz, Michele Gerber Klein, Alison Minton, Julie A. Orsini, Liz Peek, Sarah Perpich, Patricia Selden, Jean Shafiroff, and Peter Traub.

Reed Krakoff donated a percentage of sales from the event to The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT.

Looking ahead towards Fall Fashion Week 2014, The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, will honor Carolina Herrera with its 2014 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion on Wednesday, September 3, 2014, at a benefit luncheon 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.

About Reed Krakoff

Fashion designer, acclaimed photographer, passionate collector and patron of the arts, Reed Krakoff is Chief Creative Officer & President of the Reed Krakoff Brand. Drawing from over twenty years of experience designing for iconic American houses, Krakoff has elevated his New York-based label into a global luxury brand and has himself become internationally recognized for his contributions to the industries of fashion, art and design.

Graphic, sculptural and born from a unique vision of modern style, the Reed Krakoff Collection debuted in February 2010. The brand is marked by a new approach to design, where luxury and utility are interpreted across a full line of ready-to-wear, handbags and accessories. Krakoff’s mission is to redefine American sportswear, marrying function and ease with the dynamism and vitality of contemporary visual culture.

A recognized leader in the fashion industry, Krakoff currently sits on the board of his alma mater, the Parsons New School of Design in New York, where he mentors aspiring fashion and design students. From 2006 to 2010, he served as the vice president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). In 2012, Krakoff was named the Accessory Designer of the Year by the CFDA for his namesake collection, an honor previously bestowed to him in 2001 and 2004 for his work. He was most recently honored at the Style Awards as Accessories Designer of the Year 2012.

Krakoff’s photographic work has been exhibited in New York, Tokyo and Beijing, and featured in fashion, art and lifestyle publications around the world. He is the author of two books: Fighter: The Ultimate Fighters of the UFC and Women in Art: Figures of Influence. He has also contributed to books by renowned French sculptors Claude & Francois-Xavier Lalanne and Swiss designer Mattia Bonetti.

About The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT

The Couture Council of The Museum at FIT, created in 2004, 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 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.

Members of the Couture Council receive invitations to at least five special events a year, including behind-the-scenes tours of the museum’s collection and exhibitions, opening receptions, and visits to the ateliers of fashion designers in New York. Couture Council members are also the first to receive notice of the annual Couture Council Artistry of Fashion Award luncheon.

In addition, Couture Council members receive complimentary admittance to all museum educational programs, as well as to the annual fashion symposium, acknowledgments in FIT's annual report, in the exhibition galleries and brochures, and on the FIT website and exclusive opportunities to meet other patrons of the fashion arts.

Couture Council annual membership is $1,000 per individual or couple, or $350 for Young Associates (under the age of 35). Membership is tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Please make checks payable to the FIT Foundation. Mail checks to The Museum at FIT, attention: Couture Council, 227 West 27th Street, Director's Office, Room E304, New York, NY 10001-5992.

For more about The Couture Council visit http://www.fitnyc.edu/3525.asp