The Event Highlighted the House’s Support of Art Restoration of Pieces by Venetian Woman Artists
Lafayette 148 and Sotheby’s Magazine hosted an exclusive event to celebrate the launch of the Lafayette 148 x Save Venice capsule collection and the restoration of Venetian artist Giulia Lama’s early-18th-century painting, Virgin in Prayer. Held at the immersive design gallery Casa Valle in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood, the evening included cocktails and dinner, with ten percent of the capsule’s sales going to Save Venice’s “Women Artists of Venice” initiative, which funds conservation projects for overlooked female artists of Venice.
Emily Smith, Lafayette 148’s Creative Director, and Kristina O’Neill, Editor-in-Chief of Sotheby’s Magazine, co-hosted the event, joined by a select group of VIP attendees. The gathering featured a Venetian-inspired menu curated by CY Kitchen, complete with caviar and specialty wines. In a nod to the capsule collection, custom caviar tins were adorned with its signature print, while the decor highlighted Lafayette 148’s Murano Glass vase collection, handcrafted in Venice.
Lafayette 148’s partnership with Save Venice supports the organization’s mission to restore Venetian artworks, specifically those by historically overlooked women artists. The conservation project, led by Claudia Vittori, recently restored Lama’s Virgin in Prayer, reviving the piece’s striking colors and intricate details. This restoration inspired Lafayette 148’s latest capsule collection, which reflects the painting’s color palette in a series of nine unique designs.
Casa Valle, where the event took place, is a 3,000-square-foot gallery founded by Giancarlo Valle and Jane Keltner de Valle. Opened in spring 2024, the gallery spans two floors in a former Patrick Parrish Gallery location, featuring multiple rooms, including a dining room, library, and bar. Known for blending contemporary and historic design elements, Casa Valle serves as both an extension of the founders’ home and a space to showcase Studio Giancarlo Valle’s furniture and lighting collections.
