He dressed some of the most famous women of the 20th century in his jewels. His partnership with Coco Chanel is legendary. Fulco di Verdura was one of the world’s most celebrated jewelry designers — and his designs are alive and well today.
Verdura was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1899, the son of nobility. After a childhood of living in Palermo, he joined Europe’s lively social scene in the early 1920s, traveling to Paris and Venice regularly. During this time, he struck up a friendship with Cole Porter and his wife, Linda, while they were visiting Palermo on their honeymoon. The three would become lifelong friends, and this connection was destined to become a turning point in Verdura’s life.
The Chanel Connection
The Porters introduced Verdura to their social circle, including designer Coco Chanel in the early 1920s. Chanel, recognizing Verdura’s budding design talent, hired him to design textiles for her fashion brand. In time, she tasked Verdura with designing her new jewelry collection — and a star was born.
One of the most iconic jewelry designs that Verdura crafted for Chanel was a pair of gem-set Maltese cross cuff bracelets. The multicolored precious and semiprecious gems that he incorporated into the pieces were from Chanel’s personal collection of jewelry given to her by former lovers. She wore the pieces regularly for the rest of her life.
Byzantine Baubles
Thanks to Chanel, Verdura caught the eye of renowned American fashion editor Diana Vreeland. She purchased two brooches that he crafted by pressing gemstones into starburst-shaped plates of gold, a decidedly untraditional technique that produced bold jewelry, a distinct departure from the more classic jewelry that was popular at the time. Verdura called this style “Byzantine,” named for the famous Byzantine mosaics in the Italian city of Ravenna. Like the ancient mosaics, Verdura mixed boldly colored gemstones in asymmetrical settings.
The Verdura brand is very much alive and well today in the hands of the Landrigan family. Ward Landrigan, now Verdura’s CEO, had a rich career as the head of Sotheby’s jewelry department before he acquired the brand 40 years ago. One of Landrigan’s clients during his years at Sotheby’s was actor Richard Burton. A rare historic pearl, called La Peregrina, came up for auction in 1969. The pearl, which had a nearly 500-year history and weighed 50 carats, caught Burton’s eye and he was determined to buy it for his then-wife, Elizabeth Taylor. Landrigan privately bid on Burton’s behalf and then arranged for the pearl, which was set in a diamond pendant, to be flown to Las Vegas, where Burton presented it to Taylor as a gift.
At the helm of Verdura, Landrigan and his son, Nico, have remained true to the design vision of the brand’s founder. All of the jewelry is directly inspired by Verdura’s original creations. The Maltese cross cuffs and curb link bracelets first worn by Chanel and Garbo continue to be sought after today. Other iconic creations that have stood the test of time are the Day and Night Collection, Target and Stardust collections.
Movie Magic
By the mid-1930s, Verdura, having met several movie stars while living in Paris, decided to immigrate to America, visiting New York, Palm Beach and Hollywood. He soon began designing jewelry for actresses including Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo and Joan Fontaine. Hepburn wore a Verdura diamond ring, necklace and bracelet in her 1940 movie “The Philadelphia Story.” A year later, Fontaine wore a brooch and necklace in “Suspicion.” Garbo was enamored with Verdura’s gold curb link bracelet and watch, and they became signature pieces for the star. She wore them in movies, publicity photos and in her everyday life.
Enduring Designs
Having established a loyal clientele in Hollywood’s and Los Angeles’ society ladies, Verdura returned to New York in the late 1930s, with his sights on opening his own store. In 1939, he opened his first salon at 712 Fifth Avenue. The company’s current salon is just a few blocks north, at 745 Fifth Avenue. While he died in 1978, throughout his career, Verdura made detailed sketches of his jewelry designs, including many that were not produced during his lifetime. The vast library of his sketches was preserved, and it serves as the inspiration of the brand’s current creations.
Screen Time
And Verdura’s legacy continues on the screen. In the recent series “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” actresses Naomi Watts, Diane Lane and Demi Moore wore Verdura creations as they portrayed New York society ladies during the 1960s and ’70s
