Kenneth Jay Lane has been elected an Honorary Trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, it was announced by James R. Houghton, the Museum's Chairman. The election took place at the September 11 meeting of the Board of Trustees.
An alumnus of the University of Michigan and the Rhode Island School of Design, Mr. Lane began his career in the art department of Vogue in 1954. A designer of fashion jewelry since 1962, he currently holds licenses for a variety of personal and home accessories. His jewelry is sold in department stores and auction houses alike. He was added to Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List, Hall of Fame in 1974 and is the author of the 1996 book Faking It.
"The Metropolitan Museum is pleased to acknowledge the meritorious support of Kenneth Jay Lane," commented Mr. Houghton in announcing the election. "He is recognized both for his jewelry designs, and for the clients who wear them – including a number of America's First Ladies as well as internationally known socialites and actresses. Through his association with the Museum – and with The Costume Institute, in particular – he has helped strengthen our activities in many ways."
Philippe de Montebello, Director of the Metropolitan, noted: "For more than four decades, the Museum has enjoyed the friendship of Kenneth Jay Lane. He has been an active participant in the Visiting Committee for The Costume Institute and has shared his unique perspective, as well as his keen knowledge of the world of fashion and the arts. In addition, he recently endowed a new gallery that will bear his name. Located in the soon-to-open, newly expanded galleries for Nineteenth-Century European Paintings and Sculpture, the Kenneth Jay Lane Gallery will feature Orientalist paintings."
Mr. Lane began his affiliation with the Museum in the 1970s. He worked with Diana Vreeland, who was Special Consultant to The Costume Institute, designing jewelry for all of the exhibitions she organized from 1972 to 1989. He has been a member of The Costume Institute's Visiting Committee since 2002.
In addition to his work with the Metropolitan, Mr. Lane is a member of Venetian Heritage International.
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September 26, 2007
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