LOS ANGELES — Seeking to create an advertising campaign for the Judith Leiber luxury accessories house, creative director Frank Zambrelli thought of featuring one of San Francisco’s highest-profile women, Vanessa Getty.
Getty, an animal activist and socialite, fit Zambrelli’s vision for the spring campaign — an individual who captured “the beauty and femininity of this distinctly American luxury brand,” Zambrelli said.
“In a country without royalty, what we have are these great American families like the Gettys,” Zambrelli said. “I love that Vanessa takes her family name quite seriously when it comes to the community. And she’s absolutely stunning.”
Zambrelli and Getty met through their mutual friend, Peter Bacanovic, Martha Stewart’s former stockbroker who was convicted of conspiracy with Stewart in the ImClone Systems stock scandal and served five months in prison and five months of home confinement. Bacanovic was creative director on the campaign.
The trio’s efforts were celebrated Wednesday at a luncheon in San Francisco hosted by Denise Hale and attended by Betsy Bloomingdale, Ann Getty, Sloan Barnett and Alexis Swanson. Getty’s Los Angeles pals Crystal Lourd, Jamie Tisch and Elizabeth Wiatt hopped a jet north for the occasion.
Getty worked in exchange for an unspecified donation to San Francisco Bay Humane Friends, which she founded last year. The charity funds a mobile unit to promote and provide complimentary spaying and neutering for pets in poor communities.
“I’ve been collecting Leiber bags for years,” said the 5-foot-9 mother of boys ages four and two. “I have vintage ones and I love what Frank is doing.”
Besides husband Bill Getty, the household includes four cats, a dog and fish.
Patty Hanson photographed Getty in October at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York.