Robert Verdi (born August 28, 1968 in Maplewood, New Jersey) is an American TV personality and style expert. He is most noted for hosting a variety of TV programs featuring fashion and interior design.
Robert was born and raised in suburban Maplewood, New Jersey. His mother, a Portuguese immigrant, was a skilled dressmaker, and his father was a chef. Verdi developed his sensibilities in suburban New Jersey where he defied the norm to set-out on a career as a trained goldsmith. Verdi’s dogged persistence, a degree from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and an intuitive eye for design soon led to jewelry showcases in Manhattan’s fabulous four Bs—Barney’s, Bendel's, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman.
In the early '90s, Robert redirected his pursuits towards a career in television. Troubled by the fact that the fashion reporter on Gay Entertainment Television was a straight woman, Robert contacted the network, which led to his first job in television.
A 1998 article in The New York Times is quoted as saying about Robert, “In the style universe, where fashion, decorating and the media are usually on different planets, Mr. Verdi travels comfortably between them. He is a jack-of-all-trades in a world where good taste and an instinct for the Now can be a passport across boundaries.” Robert’s notoriety as a style expert led him to work with many celebrities. He planned the 1996 wedding of fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to sculptor Bill Keenan. He also designed the New York apartments of Sandra Bernhard, Hugh Jackman, Mariska Hargitay and Bobby Flay.