Look To The Stars News: Twiggy

Vera Lynn Speaks Out Over Cruel Foie Gras

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Beloved by British troops for her outdoor concerts during World War II, Dame Vera Lynn now has a whole new flock of fans after penning a letter on behalf of PETA UK to Beverley Aspinall, managing director of Fortnum & Mason, asking her to stop the sale of the vile food product foie gras in the store.

In the letter, Dame Vera – who has long expressed her affinity for birds in lyrics such as those in the songs “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” – explains that foie gras production is so cruel that it’s banned in the UK.

“Britain has many things it can be proud of, and I consider our respect for the welfare of animals to be of them,” she wrote. "I was therefore most upset to learn that Fortnum & Mason stocks foie gras – a product so cruel that its production is not allowed in the UK, and yet you continue to import it from France. There is no way to produce foie gras humanely, and the force feeding process is universally condemned by veterinarians, scientists and animal welfare groups. For a department store with such a proud British heritage, it made me sad that you would wish to tarnish it by associating yourself with the force-feeding of animals.

Stars Join Virtual March Against Bullying

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

To mark the start of Anti-Bullying Week 2012, UK charity BeatBullying is mobilising hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world, together with celebrities, politicians, charities, businesses and communities to launch The Big March 2012, the world’s first global virtual march for children’s rights.

Beatbullying is calling for people around the world to support The Big March 2012, which will take place on 1st March 2012: from Manchester to Mumbai, from Naples to New Orleans, from Jerusalem to Johannesburg, and from Budapest to Brasilia.

Predicted to last up to two days, the march will culminate with the delivery of a petition to the United Nations Building in New York; asking the United Nations to explicitly enshrine ‘bullying’ in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This will help to protect children all over the world from the pain and distress of bullying and harassment. If successful, it will be the first time that the Convention has been updated in over 10 years.

Bill Oddie Leads A Christmas Protest Over Foie Gras

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Beloved British wildlife expert Bill Oddie made an unexpected appearance at the unveiling of Fortnum & Mason’s Christmas window dressed as Santa Claus to call on Fortnum & Mason to be good, for goodness’ sake, and stop selling foie gras.

Photo via PETA UK

Paul McCartney Gets Behind Meat Free Cookbook

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0000

A new cookbook inspired by the Meat Free Monday campaign – and featuring a foreword by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney – has hit the shelves of bookstores in the UK

Following the huge success of the McCartney family’s Meat Free Monday campaign, the new cookbook launched yesterday and was inspired by the simple idea that going without meat for just one day of the week can make a huge difference to the planet, our health and even our pocket.

The campaign, which was launched in 2009, came about after the United Nations issued a report which stated that the livestock industry as a whole was responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole of the transport sector put together. Meat is in fact responsible for a staggering 18 per cent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Bill Oddie Says No To Foie Gras

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:15:00 +0000

British celebrity Bill Oddie has fired off a scathing letter to Fortnum & Mason Managing Director Beverley Aspinall ridiculing Aspinall for trying to defend foie gras production by equating the force-feeding process with cormorants who swallow whole fish in the wild!

“I have reason to believe that you are well aware that the procedure of “fattening up” geese by force-feeding in order to accelerate the production of foie gras is banned in this and other European countries because it is considered extremely cruel," he wrote in the letter. "It is also totally and obviously unnatural. Which makes it doubly surprising – and shocking – to me that at a recent meeting with PETA you chose to argue your case by equating the physical experience of a goose being force-fed with that of a cormorant swallowing a fish. Catching and swallowing fish is what cormorants do. So do herons, kingfishers and various seabirds. What’s more, their throats and digestive systems allow them to consume surprisingly large prey that is not only still alive but also wiggling. This is entirely natural behaviour for cormorants and other fish-eating birds.

Roger Moore Applauds Girl Who Changed Name For Foie Gras Protest

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

PETA’s campaign against Fortnum & Mason for refusing to stop selling cruelly produced foie gras just got personal for a PETA staff member: Abi Izzard has now officially changed her name to StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com.

“Whenever anyone asks for or reads my name, it sparks a conversation about the cruelty of foie gras and Fortnum & Mason’s complicity in the abuse”, says StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com. “It’s appalling that Fortnum & Mason, which trades on its British heritage, refuses to stop profiting from a product so cruel that its production is banned in the UK.”

StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com’s positive action has already received praise from one high-profile admirer: “Many people know me as James Bond or 007, but I never went so far as officially changing my name from Roger Moore!” says Sir Roger Moore, a fervent supporter of the campaign against Fortnum & Mason and the sale of foie gras. “I hope the young lady now known as StopFortnumAndMasonFoieGrasCruelty.com royally shames this store”.

Twiggy Supports Wardrobe Clearout For Oxfam

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Fashion icon Twiggy is calling on Marks & Spencer customers to support Oxfam by clearing out their wardrobes this week. 

On Thursday 8th September, 370 M&S stores up and down the UK will be hosting a special One Day Wardrobe Clearout event, accepting unwanted clothing and accessories that will be resold or recycled by Oxfam. The event will help Oxfam raise crucial funds and prevent clothing from going to landfill.

 The national campaign has the backing of the face of M&S Woman and international icon Twiggy, who is encouraging customers to get involved.

Audrey Hepburn Named Most Stylish Celebrity In Charity Poll

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:30:00 +0000

Audrey Hepburn has beaten modern celebrities, including Cheryl Cole and Kate Moss, to be named most stylish woman in a new poll by Oxfam.

According to the research, a quarter of UK women chose the 1950s star, immortalised in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, as their number one style icon, with Princess Diana in second place (14%) and Cheryl Cole in third (12%). In fact, seven of the top ten were stars from previous fashion eras, including designer Coco Chanel (5%), 1960s trendsetter Twiggy (5%) and blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe (4%). Kate Moss, often listed as one of the most fashionable women on the planet, was in tenth place with just one per cent of the vote.

Oxfam carried out the research to understand the growing demand for vintage fashion from its UK shops and website: since the launch in April 2010, the Oxfam online vintage section has seen a 34% increase in sales and an average of 6,000 visitors per week. A third of the women questioned in the poll (33%) admitted they would choose a vintage item over something new. Half of those (50%) said it was because the item would be unique and they would be less likely to see anyone else wearing the same thing, one in five (20%) said they thought that the quality of vintage items is better than new, while five per cent felt inspired by celebrities wearing vintage.

Law & Order UK Star Demands Justice For Bears

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Law and Order UK star Jamie Bamber has stripped off to demand justice for bears.

The star, who plays DS Matt Devlin on the ITV1 drama, has swapped bear skin for bare skin in the new ad after hearing that Canadian black bears are slaughtered to make the Queen’s Guards’ ceremonial caps.

Ricky Gervais Says No To Animal Cruelty On His Birthday

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0000

If you’re wondering what to buy Ricky Gervais for his 50th birthday on 25 June, you’d better steer clear of anything from Fortnum & Mason! The comedian set aside his well-honed sense of humour to pen a deadly serious letter on PETA’s behalf to F&M head Beverley Aspinall calling the department store out for its sale of cruelly produced foie gras.

Foie gras is a pâté made from the livers of ducks and geese.

“I have been a customer of your store, for many years and I consider it a great British institution,” writes Ricky. "I am however, saddened to hear that despite the extremely unethical processes involved in obtaining it, you continue to stock foie gras.

Twiggy Says No To Animal Cruelty

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

British modeling legend Twiggy is the latest star to make a stand against UK store Fortnum & Mason’s decision to keep selling foie gras in the face of international condemnation.

The iconic model has written a letter to the store’s managing director, Beverly Aspinall, urging her to stop stocking the product, which is a pâté made from the livers of ducks and geese. Twiggy is campaigning against the cruel way producers fatten the livers – up to two kilograms of mash are pumped into the birds’ stomachs through a pipe two or three times a day. The pipes sometimes puncture the birds’ throats, causing the animals to bleed to death. Last week, The Mentalist star Owain Yeoman also protested against the store’s continued stocking of the product.

“I find it shocking that Fortnum & Mason would sell the horribly cruel product of goose torture known as foie gras,” writes Twiggy. "A product so barbaric that its production is banned in the UK and in more than a dozen other countries. Anyone who has watched PETA’s undercover footage of geese and ducks as they are force-fed several times a day via a pipe until their livers swell to many times their normal size cannot fail to be appalled. Foie gras has no place on British store shelves or menus, let alone in a shop that so blatantly trades on its British heritage.

Celebrities Sign Letter To Stop Wild Monkey Trade

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:30:00 +0000

An open letter to UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has been signed by a host of politicians, primatologists, scientists, academics, wildlife experts and celebrities. The letter calls on the UK Government to dissociate itself from the cruel trade in wild-caught primates for research.

Jenny Seagrove with BUAV letter at 10 Downing Street

British Stars Say No To Battery Cows

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

A bunch of celebrities have joined a campaign in Britain to prevent battery cow dairy farming from coming to the UK.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals – more commonly known as WSPA – has launched Not In My Cuppa, a campaign against the cruel practice of battery dairy farming.

According to the organization: "Nocton Dairies wants to bring intensive battery dairy farming to Britain, where thousands of cows will live in factory conditions instead of on grassy fields.

British Stars Join Operation Lion Ark

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

A pride of celebrities have pledged their support to a record breaking lion rescue and are urging people to give to the appeal.

The initiative is called “Operation Lion Ark”, and is the biggest-ever animal rescue of its kind. Now a host of celebrities are urging people to get behind it and send a donation to help “save the lions”. This month, Animal Defenders International (ADI) will airlift 25 rescued lions from Bolivia to the USA but are urgently calling for support for the operation.

Celebrities Stand Up Against Bullying

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Bullying. It’s just a part of life, right? Whatever your size, shape or sexuality, chances are you’ve been bullied, or you will be, at some point in your life. Bullying has just been accepted as a rite of passage, until now. Recently, more and more celebrities have been backing anti-bullying campaigns and lending their voices to an important cause.

Bullying can take many forms, but no one form is any less damaging than another. Regardless of the method, it knocks your self-esteem and sends your confidence plummeting. More recently, there has been a spate of children, teenagers and young adults who have felt so low and lost that they have taken their own lives. These deaths have all been caused by bullying, in forms ranging from playground name-calling to cyber-bullying.

Recognizing that this has to stop, action is being taken across the globe. November’s Anti-Bullying Week saw celebrities including Pixie Lott, Justin Bieber, Alesha Dixon and Twiggy take part in various anti-bullying campaigns including “The Big March”, and a six-week long BBC campaign. Jim Carrey has also spoken out after his role in a recent film, which features a convict who finds his same-sex soulmate in jail. Appalled by the growing trend of bullying gay teenagers, he has declared bullying “an old and antiquated way of thinking” that has no place in modern society, and has added his weight to anti-bullying campaigns worldwide by saying that “anyone who bullies anybody for any reason is no friend of [his]”.

Celebrity Charity Store Opens For Runaways Refuge

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0000

A number of top stars have donated items from their very own wardrobes to a new celebrity charity store in the UK.

The store, located in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre, will raise money for local charity SAFE@LAST, an organization established ten years ago for young runaways. The charity runs the only emergency refuge for runaways outside London for runaways under the age of 16.

Some of the items on sale in the store include Sienna Miller’s Roberto Cavalli sunglasses and the dress Fern Britton wore on her last appearance on This Morning. There are also items donated by Jamie Oliver, Fearne Cotton, Twiggy and JLS.

Stars Spend Their Last Cash For Charity

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

From lottery tickets to underwear, bubbly to dog food, celebrities have been revealing how they would spend their last £20 as part of a campaign launched by international development charity Sightsavers to highlight how less that £20 can restore the sight of someone in the developing world.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, singer Beverley Knight, M&S model Twiggy, TV actors Sunetra Sarker and Martin Clunes, singer Eliza Doolittle and presenter Kate Thornton are all behind the charity campaign which launches this week ahead of World Sight Day on 14th October.

X Factor Favorites Donate Clothes To Charity Auction

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0000

X Factor favourites Alexandra Burke, Jedward, Olly Murs, Stacy Solomon and super stylish judge Dannii Minogue have given clothes to a charity auction which will benefit Alder Hey Imagine Appeal.

The X Factor outfits will be auctioned at the Clothes Throw event at The Racquet Club, Liverpool, this October. The Clothes Throw will be hosted by British designers Kirsty Doyle and Benna Harry who will give style talks on each of the items whilst they are modelled on the catwalk for guests to bid on.

X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has given a black Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier dress and judge Dannii Minogue has given a multi-coloured Orion dress which she wore on Gok’s Fashion Fix. This years X Factor is due to start on Saturday and last year’s X Factor finalists have all signed an Imagine Appeal t-shirt for the auction.

Judi Dench Donates James Bond Clothes To Charity

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Dame Judi Dench and Dame Shirley Bassey are the latest A-Listers to donate to Alder Hey Imagine Appeal’s Clothes Throw event being held in The Racquet Club in Liverpool in October.

Dame Judi Dench has donated the actual suit that she wore as character M when she starred alongside Daniel Craig in the James Bond film Casino Royale – the grey Armani suit actually comes on the hanger used on set.

Stars Give Land Mines The Boot With Celebrity Charity Auction

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

The Mines Advisory Group is launching a very special celebrity charity auction this week to raise money for people affected by landmines.

Stars such as Katy Perry, Pink, Shirley Bassey, Twiggy, Joanna Lumley, Nelly Furtado, Alan Shearer and Tony Blair’s wife, Cherie, have donated their shoes to the auction, which launches on July 22 and runs till August 1.

“We’ve been totally overwhelmed by the support we’ve had from celebrities who’ve given up their shoes to help those affected by conflict every day,” said MAG’s Give Landmines The Boot auction organizer Zoe Corden. "MAG chose to run a celebrity shoe auction because often its peoples’ feet that are the most at risk from landmine blasts, and the stars that donated did so to help us stamp a link between shoes and the dangers that lurk beneath them for millions worldwide.

Stylish Stars Support Charity With Celebrity Clothes Throw

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Dannii Minogue, Sienna Miller, Twiggy and Paloma Faith are just some of the celebrities who have donated an item from their own wardrobe to support Alder Hey Imagine Appeal’s second “Clothes Throw” event being held in Liverpool in October.

The celebrity items will be auctioned at an exclusive lunch prior to a public sale and the charity is appealing to all stylish women to join the famous names and give a designer item they no longer wear for this unique event. 100% of the funds raised at the Clothes Throw will go directly to the Imagine Appeal to support the hospital’s pioneering work and improve the quality of life for its young patients.

“The Alder Hey Imagine Appeal is a great cause to get involved with because they treat more children than anywhere else in the UK so I’m really delighted to be involved,” says Iconic British model Twiggy. “I’m donating the actual coat that I wore in the Christmas M&S TV advert and I’ll also include a signed photo for the winner! I love this pink coat so I hope it finds a good home in the auction! After the lunch, there will be a pop-up shop selling all the previously worn clothes and accessories donated by the public and I know the Imagine team are on the look out for some fabulous finds for the event. So dig deep girls it’s all for a marvellous cause!”

Sharon Osbourne Boycotts Louis Vuitton

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:20:00 +0000

Sharon Osbourne is supporting animal rights once again by insisting fans boycott new handbag accessories from Louis Vuitton.

Sharon called these new foxtail handbags “heinous” on Twitter as well as her blog. Her push regards boycotting all fur that is used for fashion, but she singles out Louis Vuitton by tweeting “Louis Vuitton foxtail handbag accessories make me sick.”

X-Files And Lost Stars Doodle For Charity

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000

National Doodle Day will once again kick off on March 5 in the UK, with a host of celebrities putting pen to paper for a charity auction.

The doodles include artworks from The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson, Eric Idle, Amanda Holden, Boyzone, Catherine Tate, Chris Tarrant, Lost’s Dominic Monaghan, Fearne Cotton, Geri Halliwell, Ian Botham, Jacqueline Wilson, Jason Flemyng, Rolf Harris, Twiggy and many more.

It’s the seventh time the initiative has been run, with proceeds going to Epilepsy Action and the Neurofibromatosis Association.

British Stars Donate Dresses Fit For A Princess

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:00 +0000

In collaboration with the Princess Alice Hospice charity in the UK, The Bentall Centre in Kingston is hosting a star-studded fashion exhibition from 26th September 2009 until 19th October showcasing celebrity party attire in store windows, which will then be online at www.ebya.co.uk/charity from 19th October, to raise money for the Hospice.

Over forty personalities and luminaries, including; Dame Helen Mirren, Lynda Bellingham, Samantha Cameron, Beth Ditto, Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh, Helena Bonham Carter, Geri Halliwell, Paloma Faith, Joanna Lumley, Trinny Woodhall, Fearne Cotton, Twiggy and The Saturdays have all kindly donated dresses to the Fit For a Princess event.

Unique pieces include an Alberta Ferretti sequin skirt and top which was worn at The Planet of the Apes premiere by Helena Bonham Carter, Paloma Faith’s gorgeous green silk and lace prom dress, which she wore in her latest ‘New York’ music video and a Herve Leger gown from Beverley Knight. There is a wonderful two piece worn by Joanna Lumley at a James Bond gala, which in her letter given with the dress boasts that they have been ‘shaken and stirred’ by two 007 agents – Daniel Craig and Roger Moore!

Ricky Gervais Designs Manbag For Charity

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Ricky Gervais is among celebrities who have made their mark on a new fundraising initiative designed to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Leading online retailer manbagcompany.com threw down the gauntlet to some of the UK’s favorite celebs to let their imaginations run riot and customize one of its exclusive Messenger bags. The great and the good from the arenas of fashion, comedy, art, music and film stepped forward to add their personal touches to a Manbag – and raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity into the bargain.

A host of contributors rose to the challenge and joined Ricky in supporting the initiative, including Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Alan Carr, Rio Ferdinand, Twiggy, Jade Jagger, Joe Corres, Spandau Ballet, Darth Vader, Bruce Oldfield, Jimmy Choo, Tom Baker (Dr Who) and many more.