Spend some green to get some green.

Unlike, the endangered African Electric Catfish or the giant Lord Howe Island Stick Insect, water scarcity is not a particularly difficult cause to rally behind. We all drink it; we all need it. And we’re all going to suffer if fresh water becomes scarcer and more polluted, as it inevitably will in the coming years. Accordingly, celebrities as varied and prominent as former president Bill Clinton, singer James Taylor, and model Coco Rocha congregated last week at Christie’s in New York City to raise money for water preservation programs run by the nonprofit organizations Oceana, Conservation International, Central Park Conservancy
and the National Resources Defense Council.

The event was Christie’s Bid to Save the Earth, a one-of-a-kind event which started in 2010 as a way to celebrate Earth Day by helping select nonprofits that make a difference. This year, a dazzling mix of actors, celebrities and philanthropists combined to donate over 200 sumptuous packages to be auctioned off, both on the web through non-profit advocacy auctioneers Charitybuzz and at Christie’s glamorous gala.

The private, carbon-neutral gala was co-chaired by luminaries such as Anna & Graydon Carter, James R. Hedges IV, Salma Hayek & François-Henri Pinault, and Susan & David Rockefeller, it raised more than $600,000 in proceeds – topped off with the offer to sail on the Hemisphere, the world’s largest luxury sailing catamaran, which was won for a mere $150,000.

Other luxury items – both at the live auction and online – include a 1989 Fender American Vintage ’62 Reissue Stratocaster Guitar, signed by Pearl Jam; VIP tickets to Saturday Night Live; having designer Gilles Mendel personally design you a couture gown and then attend the J. Mendel spring fashion show in 2013; a 13-day African safari; a Girard-Perregaux watch, which was custom designed for the event; as well as prints by artists like Peter Lik, Simon Cardwell and Stuart McLachlan.

All the auction items currently up for sale are not all over-the-top luxury, meant for those few who are able to drop four or five figures on a single item. Some of the more idiosyncratic and delightful lots up for sale include one-of-a-kind experiences like getting Glenn Close to record your voicemail message as Cruella de Vil; having New York Times bestseller novelist Mary Higgins Clark name a character after you in her next book; or getting a surfing lesson from surf god Laird Hamilton.

Bid to Save the Earth is still an event in its infancy, notes Toby Usnik, the head of communications at Christie’s. Still, the overwhelming support that the event and auction have received this year, as in years past, is heartening both for the lucky nonprofits and the causes that they champion.

And the donations offered are remarkable not only for their quantity and quality, but for coming from a variety of celebrities and organizations which support sustainability in their own practices, such as Stella McCartney and noted eco-activist Cameron Diaz. “We are moving towards an era where products are being developed in more sustainable ways, as a result of increased global awareness and the urgency of conservation. It can only be an advantage to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability in production of goods or services,” Usnik said.

The total amount raised will be revealed once the online auction ends on April 19th. Until then, the opportunity to meet Harrison Ford on the set of his upcoming film, or go backstage with Anderson Cooper on the set of Anderson in New York City, is still up for grabs.

Check out the lots currently available online at Charitybuzz.

Image: DNAinfo

The post Christie’s Bid to Save The Earth Hosts Online Auction appeared first on EcoSalon.

Christie’s auction house sets the stage for eco fashion gone upscale.

Despite the paralyzing traffic congestion due to President Obama’s visit to NYC yesterday, key movers and shakers in the philanthropic and (green) fashion community made their way to Christie’s at Rockefeller Center last night for the star-studded Bid to Save the Earth gala auction and the Runway to Green event styled by Vogue’s Fashion Director, Tonne Goodman. Funds raised from the luxurious lot items generously exceeded the organizers’ expectations and with twenty six participating fashion designers who met the challenge of greening the runway, the message seemed clear that sustainable fashion has now made its way downtown, uptown, and all around town for women and men who are willing to redefine the cost of luxury and the role that they might play.

Vogue.com was rather clever to open this event up to a global audience by creating an online invite and then live-streaming the auction and runway presentation on their website at 8:30pm EST last night. Viewers were able to see the paddles flapping and even catch auctioneer jokes about the sartorial details of bidders’ attire. Actor and comedian, Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live, was particularly witty and added a bit of spunk to the affair, tossing out the promise that he would bike the loop of Manhattan’s Central Park as part of one bidding lot.

Michelle Harper dons some millinery greenery for Bid to Save the Earth

Noted guests for the evening included names such as: Anna Wintour, Chevy Chase, Salma Hayek, Michelle Harper, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Thakoon Panichgul, Michael Kors, Rachel Roy, Coco Rocha, Karolina Kurkova, Kate Dillon, Lauren Bush, David Lauren, Angela Lindvall, and many more.

Stella McCartney patchwork wool and alpaca-blend sweater dress available on Net-a-Porter

In addition to $1.26 million raised last night, the added good news is that looks from the 26 participating fashion designers are now available for purchase at Net-a-Porter, with proceeds benefiting the National Defense Resources Council, Oceana, and the Central Park Conservatory. These items and accessories are not green in terms of materials per se, but a portion of the proceeds from each exclusive Runway to Green piece will go to leading environmental organizations.

The buzz post-runway presentation is that, in addition to the lush vegetation divider that rotated as each model stepped on to the stage, attendees were totally on board with the idea that eco fashion is no longer a marginalized phenomenon. One of the show-stopping pieces was the finale, Oscar de la Renta’s one-of-a-kind 100% organic natural ivory cotton-tulle bridal gown, all hand-embroidered with 100% organic, natural ivory cotton ‘guipure’ lace flowers. Proof that sustainable textiles can transparently translate to luxurious couture and the best of what high-end fashion houses can generate.

As part of our ongoing examination of what the future of fashion genuinely looks like, it appears as if the increased dialogue with celebrated luxury and ready-to-wear designers continues to create new standards for how to design and be more environmentally-minded. With all of the recent concern about designers also burning out due to demanding fashion week schedules and the pressures of running multi-faceted global brands, perhaps it will continue to be the case that future designs are presented in contexts where consumers and supporters might be more involved in the good that can come from their purchases and fashion “needs.” This can only be a positive development as we band together to create lasting solutions on all fronts, be they environmental or social in these challenging times.

Lead Image: Karolina Kurkova in Prada (photo: Elizabeth Lippman) for Vogue.com, all others courtesy of Vogue.com and Net-a-Porter

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