Months before the Notre-Dame Cathedral suffered its tragic fire, and Francophiles worldwide grieved in despair, Brazil grappled with a devastating inferno that consumed one of its own cultural icons: the National Museum of Brazil -- the equivalent of the Smithsonian in the United States.
On Wednesday, April 17, Fortune International Group united Miami’s Brazilian community, bringing together leaders in business, art, and design, including renowned artist Romero Britto, for a special fundraiser -- one marked by an outpouring of hope and support for the museum and its reconstruction. Dozens of luminaries gathered at the Jade Signature condominium in Sunny Isles Beach to help raise money and rebuild the cherished, 200+-year old institution, which has been in dire need of financial assistance since the September 2018 fire gutted the building and destroyed nearly all of its 20 million artifacts.
Co-hosted by Fortune International Group President & CEO Edgardo Defortuna, Romero Britto, Artefacto CEO Paulo Bacchi, and Ornare Miami Director Claudio Faria, the event, which raised more than U.S. $20,000 for the museum, was co-sponsored by Artefacto, Bentley Miami, Fortune International Group, Ornare, Vacheron Constantin, Vhernier, and White & Case. The special benefit additionally honored to the museum’s vice director, Cristiana Serejo, who traveled from Rio de Janeiro to Miami for the gathering.
“Brazil’s loss has been the world’s loss,” said Defortuna. “When the tragedy unfolded, we knew we needed to do everything possible to help aid in recovery and reconstruction efforts. Since then, the influx of generosity from our friends and partners has been tremendous. Our co-sponsors made this event a reality, and we couldn’t be more grateful to them for their heartfelt contributions to the cause.”
The fundraiser featured a Tour de Force of support: Romero Britto hosted a silent auction during the event for one of his paintings, “Abaperu,” while Vacheron Constantin and Vhernier each showcased an array of stunning jewelry and timepieces for purchase. For every piece of jewelry sold by Vhernier that evening, 10 percent of the proceeds went to the museum. Bentley Miami also brought some added horsepower to the party, displaying several of its automobiles in the Jade Signature porte-cochère.
During the event, National Museum of Brazil Vice Director Cristiana Serejo took part in a lively dialogue with Bloomberg’s Miami Bureau Chief, Jonathan Levin, to discuss the museum, its history, contributions to important research, where recovery efforts currently stand, and the hope for the museum’s future. Serejo also took questions from the audience and thanked them profusely for their continued encouragement.
In addition to the co-hosts and sponsors, VIP guests of the party included Carlos M. de la Cruz III; Meredith Dyer of Vacheron Constantin; Juan Hinestrosa, G.M. of Bentley Miami, and Tony Garcia of Bentley Miami; Mark Bagnall and Michael Garcia of White & Case; Cristiano Piquet; Chris (Christiane) Brooks; Sissy DeMaria-Koehne of Kreps DeMaria Public Relations & Marketing; Vivian Augusto de Lima Giuliani; Lara Heluany of Ornare; Flavio Nicolay Guimaraes; and Adriana Gomez Licon of the Associated Press.
Guests gathered in the Club Room of Jade Signature, which -- along with the rest of the interiors -- was designed by globally acclaimed interior architect, Pierre-Yves Rochon. The tower, which opened last year and was created by Herzog & de Meuron, has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including being named by Dezeen magazine (among the most prestigious architecture and design publications) as one of the “Top 10 Skyscrapers of 2018.” Currently, a limited number of residences remain for sale within Jade Signature, including several recently completed turnkey homes. The tower’s most luxurious offerings – a portfolio known as “The Collection” – has a compilation of two-story Sky Villas and a two-story penthouse, ranging from $12.9 million to $29.5 million. The Sky Villas offer stunning features, such as flow-through views, expansive terraces, private elevators, smart technology, service quarters and PYR-designed bathroom cabinetry. The two-story penthouse boasts all of these world-class features as well as a private pool, gym and 360-degree views. Additional offerings include three- to five-bedroom residences, with sizes starting at 3,465 square feet and prices starting at $4.5 million.
Fortune International Group
Synonymous with excellence, quality, customer service and unwavering commitment to the highest standards of luxury, Fortune International Group has been a recognized leader in development, sales and marketing since 1983. The company’s prestigious development portfolio includes many of the most prominent residential properties in South Florida including Jade Signature, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach, Auberge Beach Residences and Spa Fort Lauderdale, Jade Residences Brickell; Jade Beach, Jade Ocean, and Hyde Resort & Residences Hollywood. In addition, Fortune Development Sales is the premier, exclusive on-site sales and marketing representative for third-party development projects in South Florida, having represented some of South Florida’s most successful projects: Missoni Baia, Una Residences, 57 Ocean, 2000 Ocean, Monaco Yacht Club, 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, Brickell Flatiron, SLS Lux & Gran Paraiso, among others with thousands of sales to date. Led by visionary founder Edgardo Defortuna, Fortune International Group has 18 offices around the world with nearly 1,000 associates. Fortune’s international broker network reaches legions of prospective buyers from South Florida to Buenos Aires, Hong Kong to São Paolo, and Manhattan to Paris.
