Padma Lakshmi is enviably beautiful and incredibly talented. As a model, a jewelry designer and Emmy-nominated host of Bravos hit reality show, Top Chef, Padma cant help but shine. As it turns out, she has a heart of gold, too.
Padma was in South Norwalk last night at the Clarke Showroom, hosting a local Top Chef Showdown and trunk show for her eponymous jewelry line. But she had an ulterior motive. The food and the jewelry were, in Padmas words, just spy cover to get everyone here. The evenings true goal was to raise money for the Endometriosis Foundation, a non-profit organization Padma started with Dr. Tamer Seckin, MD, to provide hope to women suffering from the debilitating effects of endometriosis and associated diseases.
Part of her push to raise funds for the foundation included a trunk show of her uncommon jewelry designs. And while ten percent of the evenings jewelry sales would go to the foundation, the designs alone were enough to woo women into purchasing.
Each piece is so delicate and exotic, said Michele Stefani of Westport, as she admired the beaded onyx and 14k brushed gold choker around her neck. And its all put together beautifully.
Padma started working with a designer years ago for herself, said Jill Cecere who handles the wholesale end of Padmas jewelry line. But she got so many questions, Where did you get that? Where can I find that? she decided to start her own line with an eye toward creating really unique and uniquely feminine pieces.
She has certainly succeeded. Each bangle and bauble has movement to it, from tiny, fluttering gold leaves to the ethereal chime of a cala lily bell ring in 10 carat brushed gold. Even the cuff bracelets are dotted with dangling gold pods. The attention to detail is impressive, and brings a graceful quality to the entire collection.
Dont worry if you missed the trunk show. Padmas pieces are available locally at Mitchells in Westport and Richards in Greenwich. We started a great friendship with Padma one year ago, said Bob Mitchell, addressing the guests, and since then, weve launched her line in our stores, and were here tonight to support her foundation. He went on to offer a one hundred dollar gift certificate to the Mitchells Family of Stores to anyone who donated one hundred dollars to the Endometriosis Foundation during the evening.
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