Uber Elegant French Heritage Society Gala At The Pierre Hotel

It was a night for swanning and practicing your French. The uber elegant French Heritage Society gala filled the Pierre ballroom with sylphs, swathed in couture. The event honored Hermes International and American Interior Decorator Timothy Corrigan. Corrigan, who favors a French Style, recently completed restoring and decorating his Loire Valley Chateau. In fact, maintaining one’s French castle is not only a topic of conversation at this event — often spoken in French — but part of its raison d’etre: preserving the French architectural legacy in both France and America. The French Heritage Society has supported the restoration of nearly 500 buildings and gardens, sponsors student internships and cultural trips.

The event was held under the High Patronage of His Excellency Gérard Araud, Ambassador of France to the U.S., and of The Honorable Bertrand Lortholary, Consul General of France in New York, and in the presence of FHS Chairman Elizabeth Stribling. The Chairmen for the Gala were CeCe Black, Jean Shafiroff, Ann Van Ness, Kazie Harvey, Deborah Royce and Ursula Lowerre.

Guillaume de Seynes, Executive Vice-President of Hermès, flew in to accept the award. We also spotted Chui-Ti Jansen, Mariam Azarm, Barbara Regna, Dr. Penny Grant, Geoffrey Bradfield, Comtesse Caroline Safian Krawiec Brownstone and French Government Tourist Board’s Katherine Johnstone, whose French castle, period wedding attracted a ten page spread in Town and Country.