Gala 2023

Suzanne Tucker is recognized as one of the country’s leading interior designers, known for her personal and enduring style, her great attention to detail and passion for architecture and decorative arts. Architectural Digest has honored her repeatedly on the AD100 list of top designers and she is included in the Elle Décor A-list and the Luxe Gold List. Tucker and her husband/partner Timothy F. Marks, founded Tucker & Marks in 1986, building it into the distinguished firm it is today. Suzanne Tucker Home was launched in 2010 with her textile, tabletop, and home furnishings line.

She has written multiple publications, including her latest book “Extraordinary Interiors” (The Monacelli Press, 2022). Tucker serves as a director on the National Board of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and has co-chaired the Arthur Ross Awards in New York since 2014. She is one of the founding directors of the Northern California Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art and currently Director Emeritus, having served on the board for fourteen years. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation and is a fellow of The Garden Conservancy.

In 2015 Tucker received the Design Leadership Award, in 2016 she received an ICAA Julia Morgan Award for Residential Interior Design, and in 2017 Tucker was the inaugural honoree at the ICAA Northern California Legacy Dinner. In 2020, Tucker was honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Academy of Art University.

Having purchased the company of his dreams, Heller in May 2022, Edelman now serves as CEO and President to steer the future of this iconic furnishings brand to even greater heights. Simultaneously, Edelman sits on the Chilewich Board of Directors, (serving once again with his long-time friend and collaborator, John McPhee) as well as continuing as the Executive Chairman of Crypton Fabrics.

Edelman served on the Board of Trustees for DIFFA, and currently serves on the Board of Design Leadership Network and the Be Original Americas Board of Directors. Edelman is the co-founder of the beverage brand Fourth & Pride vodka, which donates 5% of profits to LGBTQ+ organizations, fully integrating his business acumen with his lifelong advocacy work.

Spending 14 years at Edelman Leather, including six as President & CEO, Edelman’s leadership approach was defined by his family principles of authenticity and “doing well by doing good”. Along with John McPhee, they re-envisioned the company, and soon established Edelman’s family namesake brand into a global trademark by expanding into four luxury lifestyle categories— Private Aviation, Hospitality, Corporate Interiors, and Residential Interiors—before helping facilitate their sale to Knoll, Inc in 2007.

In 2010, Edelman and McPhee purchased Design Within Reach and revitalized the once-troubled retailer into the world leader in authentic modern design by eliminating knockoffs, repairing vendor relationships, re-training sales teams, adding Trade and Contract divisions, expanding Product Development, and opening new DWR Studios. In 2014, Herman Miller, Inc. purchased the renewed DWR and Edelman stayed on as CEO of both DWR and Herman Miller Consumer Group before departing in 2019.

In May 2022, Edelman was honored with an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the New York School of Interior Design.

Peti Lau ’11 is an acclaimed international interior designer with a magnetic personality, and sought-after connoisseur for her eccentric touches and diverse tastes. Lau specializes in high-end residential and commercial designs, and is known for her bold eccentric modern touches, as well as artful and timeless interiors. She holds a degree from the New York School of Interior Design and studied historical architecture and interiors in London. She is also a member of the Design Leadership Network. Her extensive portfolio features projects around the globe from Los Angeles and New York to the United Kingdom, Koh Samui Thailand, and Mauritius. With a well-traveled eye, Lau expresses her worldly inspirations and tells a story with eclectic colors, patterns, and textures to create romance and moods in all of her spaces.

Most recently named in Los Angeles Times Top 25 Designers in March 2022, and New York’s Top 25 Designers by European Publisher Coveted in March 2020, Lau has garnered press attention in leading media outlets including Architectural Digest, Wall Street Journal, House Beautiful, Elle Decor,1st Dibs, Discovery Plus, HGTV, NBC, and Apartment Therapy, amongst many others. Her eclectic style has also attracted a wide range of clients, including celebrities and high-profile executives.

Lau has developed a signature style she has coined AristoFreak™. AristoFreak™ celebrates an audacious aesthetic with daring richness, centered around the juxtaposition of contrast. The brand blends the love of art, travel, and lifestyle, resulting in livable, tailored interiors full of personality.