Fred Leighton

Fred Leighton is an American antique jewelry business based on Madison Avenue in New York City. The business is also known for lending jewelry to celebrities.

History

The business was founded by Murray Mondschein[1] when he bought a Mexican arts and crafts store in Greenwich Village called Fred Leighton in 1959.[1] Mondschein added wedding dresses and Georgian, Victorian, and Art Deco jewelry to the inventory. In the 1970s, he moved the store to the Upper East Side, and in 1986 legally changed his name to Fred Leighton.[1]

Leighton began lending jewelry to celebrities in 1996 when client Miuccia Prada[2] borrowed a necklace for Nicole Kidman to wear to the Oscars. Since then, celebrities have continued to wear Fred Leighton for events including the Golden Globe Awards and the Met Gala. The company's jewels have also been used in films including Marie Antoinette (2006),[3] The Devil Wears Prada,[4] and the Sex and the City series and film.[5]

In 2005, Leighton sold the company to Ralph Esmerian. Under Esmerian's ownership, the company filed bankruptcy in 2008, and in 2010, Esmerian was charged with bankruptcy fraud, wire fraud, and concealing assets. He was sentenced to six years in federal prison and fined $20 million.[6][7]

In 2009, Fred Leighton’s assets, including its inventory and retail stores in New York and Las Vegas, were acquired by Kwiat Enterprises, LLC together with Och-Ziff Capital Management Group and FOF Inventory Holding, in a $25.8 million bankruptcy court deal.[8] Founded by Sam Kwiat in 1907, Kwiat is an American jeweler based in New York City and remains privately held by the Kwiat family.[9]

References
  1. Sandomir, Richard (2017-08-04). "Fred Leighton, a Jeweler Who Made Stars Glitter, Dies at 85 (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  2. "Red carpet jewelry: the secret to Fred Leighton's enduring success at the Oscars". www.thejewelleryeditor.com. 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  3. Bernstein, Beth. "While At Home, Binge On Jewelry-In Films". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  4. "Features: Even the devil can't upstage a fabulous wardrobe". Daily News. 2006-07-11. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  5. "The business behind 'Sex and the City'". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  6. "Folk Art Collector Ralph Esmerian Gets Six Years in Federal Prison". Observer. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  7. DeMarco, Anthony. "Former Fred Leighton Owner 'Lived a Life of Fraud and Deceit on a Massive Scale'". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  8. "Jeweler To The Stars Arrested in Alleged $217 Million Fraud". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  9. "The Kwiat Family". Art & Living. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
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