A look from David Dixon's spring 2010 collection (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)
Despite a semi-controversial new study that found luxury consumers to be more selfish than frugal shoppers, fashion’s elite have opened their designer wallets to help relief efforts in Haiti. This Thursday in Toronto, Cosmo TV and swanky downtown venue The Roosevelt Room will host Haute Couture for Haiti, a fashion show fundraiser with David Dixon and a slew of Project Runway Canada runners up (Jessica Biffi, Brandon R. Dwyer and Lucian Matis) showing looks from their spring-summer 2010 collections, which will then be auctioned off for charity.
South of the border, fashion designer Donna Karan hosted A Night of Humanity fundraiser in the midst of prep for Mercedes-Benz fashion week, which starts tomorrow. In the U.K., Naomi Campbell and first lady Sarah Brown are hosting Hope for Haiti Now, a fashion show on February 18, a day before London Fashion Week, featuring dresses for auction by Alexander McQueen, Dolce and Gabbana and Vivienne Westwood. Lady Gaga is also in a giving mood: she will part with her Gary Card–designed skeleton corset and give it to the highest bidder, with proceeds going to Oxfam International.
• Lady Gaga donates her exoskeleton for a good cause [Fashion Magazine]
• Canadian designers to team up for Haute Couture for Haiti’ benefit event [Canadian Press]
• Naomi Campbell and Sarah Brown’s fashion show for Haiti [Fashionista.com]
• Fashion Fundraiser for Haiti at Karan’s Urban Zen Center [WWD.com]
I think fashion brands and designers should play a bigger role in charity events. These major designers have a lot of influence (and more money than most).
February 10, 2010 at 9:11 pm | by GiselleI think fashion designers and brands should play a bigger role in charity events. They have a lot of influence and money at their disposal (more than most of us).
February 10, 2010 at 9:12 pm | by GiselleI’d love to attend one of these, but I can’t afford it. How ironic is that?!
February 10, 2010 at 9:14 pm | by GillianA lot of people argue that celebrities and high profile companies donate to charity for publicity reasons. I say, who cares what the reason is? As long as people are donating and spreading awareness, it really doesn’t matter if their motivations are selfish.
Fashion brands and designers do have a lot of money and influence. But so do athletes and movie stars and business tycoons…
February 10, 2010 at 9:24 pm | by JLCCudos to the fashion industry for helping out people that really need it. It’s going to take a lot of money and time to rebuild in Haiti and I hope the support continues.
February 11, 2010 at 12:34 pm | by MikeI like fashion i would walk down the runway with the best dress ever after all i like what i wear even an evening gown or a wedding dress if possible it’s totally awesome.
March 8, 2010 at 7:33 pm | by Josephine Shaffer