Look To The Stars News: Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Donates To New York Schools

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Fashion designer Giorgio Armani donated $1 million to New York City public schools this week. The money will fund the Armani Arts Institute, supporting art education in the city’s disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The donation is a new initiative under the Fund for Public Schools, an organization that has raised more than $240 million since 2003. Armani’s gift is the single largest retail donation to the fund.

Armani announced the gift during the opening of his new flagship Armani/5th Avenue store, coinciding with New York City’s Fashion Week. Speaking in Italian, he described his donation as “an investment in the future generations of New York City. . . we are giving young kids a chance to dream.”

Caroline Kennedy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Joel I. Klein, Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, lauded Armani’s investment in the city during challenging economic times. The fashion designer said, “An entrepreneur shows his true colors in a period of crisis, not in a period when everybody is having success.” Kennedy, vice-chair of the Fund, commented that Armani’s gift was one of the “largest personal donations” to the fund.

Armani and Kennedy traveled to the Bronx visit one of the recipient schools.

Armani explained that because of the economic climate, he toned down the opening of his store, substituting the school donation in place of a fashion show or dinner. But his new 43,000-square-feet glass-cube emporium is hardly drab. Four stories of luxury Armani items, from shoes to chocolate, are connected by a curved staircase lined in white plastic.

Everybody in NYC at Store Opening

During the opening party, editors for top fashion magazines such as Vogue, Town& Country, InStyle Group and Elle jockeyed to get a word with the 74-year-old fashion billionaire. As described by Joanna Coles, editor of Marie Claire, “Clearly, everyone in New York is here.”

Customers of Mr. Armani also turned out for the event, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Liam Neeson, Josh Hartnett, Solange Knowles, Chase Crawford, John Mayer and Natalia Vodianova.

Victoria Beckham, a sometimes model for Armani underwear, was in town for NYC’s Fashion Week to introduce her Victoria Beckham Dress Collection. About her former boss she said, “I have so much respect for Mr. Armani—you know, I can dream.”

Julia Roberts and Armani Fight AIDS Together

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Jennifer Beckmann

Julia Roberts has designed a T-shirt to be sold under the Giorgio Armani’s (RED) label.

This is the second time Oscar winning actress has worked with Giorgio Armani to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Fund is the brainchild of Bono and Bobby Shriver, and has received over $110 million in proceeds from (RED)-branded apparel and related events since the its inception in 2006.

The new shirt features the words “revolution.evolution.devotion” making up the acronym (RED) arched over a tree of life of Roberts’ design. Roberts’ signature is also included inside. Available for men and women, the T-shirt will be sold online and in Empirio Armani stores worldwide.

Roberts previously worked with Armani in designing a leather bracelet, also featuring the tree of life, for Armani’s (RED) label. Armani sells a variety of additional (RED) items including accessories, eyeware, watches, and fragrances. 40 percent of gross proceeds go to the Fund.

Charity Gift Ideas For Christmas

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:02:36 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about giving, and there is certainly a huge selection of celebrity designed and inspired merchandise on offer this season. A gift that benefits others may be the best gift of all.

Heading up the list of products being released in time for Christmas is a series of bracelets designed by Julia Roberts for fashion giant Emporio Armani. The bohemian style leather bracelets feature an etching of the tree of life, with the words “Revolution, Evolution, Devotion” – to signify the (RED) campaign – weaved in and out of the branches.

(RED) is a global initiative founded in 2006 by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage the private sector in the fight against AIDS in Africa. They do this by channeling funds from the sale of (RED) products directly into the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Giorgio Armani was a launch partner in the initiative, and has designed a line of clothing, accessories, eye wear, watches, fragrances, and jewellery to benefit the campaign.

40% of the proceeds from the Julia Roberts designed bracelets will go directly to (RED), and the bracelets will be available in both a men’s ($195) and a women’s design ($175) from www.emporioarmani.com on December 1, World AIDS Day.

“Julia has helped to create a beautiful accessory for both women and men,” said Armani. “These will also be a visible reminder of the part that we can all play in fighting AIDS in Africa.”

Also benefiting the (RED) campaign this Christmas is a new festive single by Grammy nominees The Killers. The multi-platinum selling group is set to release their second Christmas single, “Don’t Shoot Me Santa”, at the end of November, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Global Fund.

The single is a follow-up to last year’s popular release, “A Great Big Sled”, and will be released to radio stations on November 26, with digital downloads available on November 27. The video will debut as part of (RED)’s World AIDS Day celebrations on December 1.

More gift ideas to benefit sufferers of AIDS can be found in the 7th On Sale auction being held on eBay. Over $9 million worth of goods are up for sale in the auction, which runs until December 6, including the dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker to Ralph Lauren’s 40th Anniversary fashion show earlier this year.

Over 30,000 individual items are available in the auction, being organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), with proceeds going to charities that provide care, services, and housing to those who suffer from HIV/AIDS. And in addition to money raised directly by the auction, the MAC AIDS Fund will match every dollar raised online up to $500,000.

The 7th On Sale began in 1990 as a partnership between the CFDA and Vogue magazine. This is the fifth time the auction has been run, and in the past the events have raised over $12 million for charities such as the American Foundation for AIDS Research, the AIDS Community Initiative of America, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Greenhope Services for Women, the Harlem United Community AIDS Center, and the HIV Law Project.

Other celebrities to donate clothing and items to the auction include Fergie, Oprah, and Demi Moore. More information can be found at www.7thonsale.ebay.com.

And if you still can’t find the perfect gift, why not visit actor Colin Firth’s new eco-friendly store in London?

Called “Eco”, the shop is set to open on December 1 in Chiswick, West London, and will follow the two eco-cafés Firth has already established in Notting Hill and Covent Garden. Described as an “ecological destination store”, the shop will stock a selection of fair-trade and ethical goods, as well as offering customers the services of environmental experts who can assist in “greening” their homes.

“I’m no eco hero,” said the star of Bridget Jones Diary and Pride And Prejudice. “I’m doing the shop because I think it’s a good idea. When you think about global warming, over-consumption, our energy wastage, it makes you want to improve the negative effects of your complicity in it. The thing is, if you have been given the privileges we have, if you have this many perks, surely you can help out. Rather than be a luvvie with a lofty opinion preaching to people, I prefer to do things, to get involved, put my money where my mouth is and learn something along the way.”

Happy shopping!

Stars Design Plates For Charity

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:51:22 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

For those who want to have dinner with the stars, this could be the next best thing. A selection of dinner plates designed by celebrities are for sale, with proceeds going to charity.

The plates feature designs by David Bowie, George Clooney, Giorgio Armani, Coldplay, Minnie Driver, and Sir Michael Caine, and are part of a fundraising initiative from 21st Century Leaders, a non-profit organization that plans to raise $3 million over three years through its “Whatever It Takes” celebrity-designed merchandise. So far, the organization has raised almost $1.5 million to fund “charitable projects in developing countries, and contribute to the protection of the environment and other causes”.

21st Century Leaders was founded by Charlotte di Vita, MBE, a goodwill ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. The 39 year old founded her first charity, Trade plus Aid, in 1992, which has raised over $5 million and helped communities in 21 developing countries to become self-supporting. A desire to do more led di Vita to start Whatever It Takes, a unique charity art project where celebrities donate their own artwork, which is then transferred onto “merchandise with a meaning”.

“It’s 15 minutes of their time to do an artwork,” said di Vita. “And it’s not just for a one-off sale or auction – I can use it to create employment and royalties that will help the charities for years to come.”

Proceeds from the products are distributed to a charity of the designer’s choice, and the dinner plates (which retail for $20) will benefit Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE International, UNHCR, and Anti-Slavery International. Other products available include mugs featuring the designs of Claudia Schiffer, Ewan McGregor, and Nicole Kidman (also retailing for $20), T-shirts designed by the Kaiser Chiefs ($80), shoes designed by Ozzy Osbourne ($80), and wristbands by Joss Stone, Green Day, and Paul McCartney ($6).

All merchandise is available from www.whateverittakes.org.

Bono Launches Charitable Mobile Phone

Tue, 16 May 2006 07:04:42 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Bono’s AIDS charity (RED) is set to benefit from an arrangement the singer has made in conjunction with Motorola and the UK’s Carphone Warehouse.

Each sale of a £149 handset from Motorola will be met with a £10 contribution to the charity from the electronics giant, and 5% of subsequent call charges will also go directly to the charity.

Bono has helped (RED) build similar partnerships with Gap, American Express, Emporio Armani and Converse.

Look To The Stars News: Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Donates To New York Schools

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Julia Roberts and Armani Fight AIDS Together

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