So I’m helping out my good friends at Harboring Hearts with their Summer Fete! Join us this Friday, August 13th in the Hamptons at the private Paige Estate to celebrate this great cause. Tickets are $125 online ($150 at the door) and include dinner catered by Mark Murphy, open bar by Moet Hennessy and Samantha Ronson is DJing!!! There’s also a NYC-Hamptons shuttle service for $20 round trip for any manhattanites that would like to attend. It’s going to be a great night, hope you can make it!
After party to follw at the AXE Lounge in Southhampton.
Nicole Miller and Indego Africa collection. Additional patterns and colors available on NicoleMiller.com
Nicole Miller recently re-partnered with Indego Africa to launch a limited edition line of fair-trade shorts and sarongs ($65). The designer had previously worked with the non-profit (which works with more than 250 artisan women in Rwanda to teach them skills and opportunities to provide for their families) to created a collection of woven and textile bracelets (still available) last fall.
“I am so proud to have had the opportunity to partner with such an inspiring organization that empowers African women and to help spread the message of Indego Africa. I’ve always loved
I’m a very proud sister (although I’m not always the best at expressing it). While I spend my days perusing NYC absorbed in moisturizers and designer clothing, my sister resides in Geneva working for the United Nations (UNHCR division) to help protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
Monday was World Refugee Day and to help raise awareness, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie put out a video asking us to do 1 thing, “visit unhcr.org and learn how you can make a difference.”
So that’s exactly what I’m doing (and my part to spread the word). You can also follow the UNHCR on twitter and facebook
In honor of World Oceans Day 2011, luxury skincare brand, La Mer donated $200,000 to Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean advocacy organization to help protect and raise awareness for our water systems. Additionally, La Mer partnered with Soundwalk, the international collective that offers audio tours, by creating the Seven Seas Sound Mix; an iPhone and iPad application featuring interviews with seven notable ocean enthusiasts, (leading solo sailor Samantha Davies; adventurer/environmentalist David de Rothschild of the Plastiki expedition; actress/director, Melanie Laurant; actor Liu Ye; actress Rinko Kikuchi; designer Philippe Starck; and world champion free diver Guillaume Nery), who describe their love for the sea and offer an exploratory experience though seven different bodies of water.
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder
I was pleased although not completely surprised that Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder (appearing in quite the spiffy hat) were there. As I learned from his speech at The First Amendment Party in DC, Ian is quite the environmentalist! (He even has his own foundation: http://www.isfoundation.com/).
In true La Mer fashion, it was an elegant affair, and just the excuse I needed to put on a cocktail dress and bare the rain… again (enough with the rain already!). Hosted at Affirmation Arts, the space was a cocktail party meets art exhibit with images of the seven featured environmentalists hanging on the surrounding walls. Unique but unbelievably tasty hors d’oeuvres were served (it was very sashimi meets raw vegetables health heavenly-ness) –with the ever so appreciated complimentary handsome, male wait staff.
Additional guests in attendance included Molly Sims, Kerry Washington, Theodora Richards, Rachel Roy, and Nora Zehetner.
Nora Zehetner and Kerry WashingtonNina Dobrev and Ian SomerhalderMolly Sims
WWD reported this morning that Justin Bieber will be launching a, wait for it… women’s prestige fragrance! And what does the 17 year old pop sensation know about lady scents? Does it matter? He knows a lot about the epidemic thats been sweeping the country (ahem “countries”) — Bieber fever. He was quoted saying, “Let’s be real, the way a girl smells is very important to a guy! I have such a deep connection with my fans, so creating a fragrance that I personally love is another way I can bring them closer to my world”.
And we all know there are plenty of girls out there that want to be in his “world”, so it will likely be a huge hit no matter what it smells like. The good news is (as if the excitement over
Skincare brand, Kiehl’s is partnering with Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with nutritious foods. Kiehl’s has pledged to raise $75,000, for the cause.
On May 14th they will unveil a national event “Erase Lines, Fill Needs, and Ensure No Kid Goes Hungry in America“. On that day, visit any of their freestanding stores for a complimentary 10.5 day supply of their Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate and Kiehl’s will donate $1.50 to Share Our Strength (up to $10,500).
Additionally to help raise funds, they are asking patrons to donate at any of their freestanding stores nationwide through May 31st or on Kiehls.com through the end of the year. $1 can help connect a child with 10 meals!
I was first introduced to Jen Bekman’s 20X200 website by Robert Verdi, during one if his Luxe Lounge events. The site supports artists at all levels and makes their work available (and affordable) to the general public. Starting May 5th 20X200 is featuring an exclusive edition, of the cover illustration of Simon Doonan’s book, Eccentric Glamour. Proceeds from the sale of this edition will benefit, Housing Works. Be the first to get your hands on this rare limited-edition print by signing up for 20x200’snewsletter , which gives subscribers first notice of new editions.
Eccentric Glamour by Simon Doonan print is available in four sizes, 10″x8″ ($25) | 14″x11″ ($50) | 20″x16″ ($250) | 30″x24″ ($1000). There are only 250 prints available in the 10″x8″ size, and one of them is mine! I just purchased the print and am so excited for it to arrive. The only question now is where to hang it?
I cover a lot of charities on this site since giving back is important to me and I’m constantly amazed by the amount of press releases I receive with brands showing their support by donating to various causes. So to show my support, I thought I would do a sum up of the recent ones I’ve received.
NYU Annual Premiere Benefit Fashion Show EXPO 2011 – Friday April 29th, 3PM (day show), 7:30PM (evening show). All of the proceeds from the show will benefit Hamilton-Madison House, a nonprofit community center that caters to low-income households in NYC.
If you can’t make the show, you can still get involved. EXPO 2011 has partnered with GoodSearch. Anyone online can download the GoodSearch toolbar, specify “New York University – NYU EXPO – Hamilton Madison House” as the chosen charity, and each time that they use the toolbar to search the internet, Hamilton-Madison House benefits. For more information visit http://www.exponyu.com/
UNICEF Tap Project – Celebrities, including Selena Gomez, Adrian Grenier, Dwight Howard, Rihanna, Robin Williams and Taylor Swift have joined forces with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to engage consumers in a conversation about the lack of access to safe, clean water for nearly 900 million children and adults across the globe. The UNICEF Tap Project is a public service campaign that aims to draw attention to this serious issue and encourage the public to take action to reduce the numbers of children dying daily from waterborne illnesses, the second-highest cause of preventable childhood deaths in the world. Considering $1 provides clean water for a child for 40 days –imagine the difference you can make! Get involved at http://tapproject.org/
Solid Ground Initiative T-Shirt
Solid Ground Initiative – Design Lab NYC, the boutique philanthropic design agency, has partnered with 12 influential Japanese artists located in Japan and NY to create a t-shirt design collection that tells the human side of the recent disaster. All of the proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go to relief organizations working in Japan. Shirts are available in both childrens and unisex adult sizes. For more information visit http://www.solidgroundinitiative.com/
TEMPTU, the worldwide leader in airbrush makeup, announced earlier this month that they will donate $100 from every online sale of their AIRbrush Makeup System and TEMPTU PRO Compressors and Kits through March 31, 2011 to the American Red Cross for Japan relief efforts.
Civic Duty Shoes
Civic Duty Shoes– I recently discovered this awesome new sneaker line that donates 100% of the profits to a social cause benefiting those in the US. They’re made out of Tyvek, which is that same material used for FedEx envelopes, so awesome! Learn more at http://www.civicdutyshoes.com/
Jac Vanek & We The Kings "We Love Japan" Bracelet
Cutting edge clothing and accessories designer, Jac Vanek has teamed up with the band, We The Kings to create a “We Love Japan” bracelet ($10). 100% of all proceeds go towards relief efforts in Japan, Learn more HERE
Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry will auction off a collection of personalized items including items from her latest fragrance campaign, Reveal by Halle Berry in
It seems like skincare brand, Kiehl’s Since 1851 is always up to some cool, philanthropic initiative –probably because they generally are! This year in celebration of their 160th anniversary (go Kiehl’s!), they are collaborating with Michael C. Hall and Chloë Sevigny to help clean up both our waterways and our skin!
In their latest charitable and environmental endeavor, Michael C. Hall and Chloë Sevigny have designed a special limited edition label for one of my favorite Kiehl’s products, their Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque ($23). Kiehl’s will be donating 100% of the net proceeds (up to $100k) of this Limited Edition Label Art Series to the Waterkeeper Alliance, a grassroots advocacy organization that works to protect and preserve our waterways.
I am addicted to this mask—err masque! It’s formulated with fairly traded Amazonian White Clay that helps detoxify skin and extract all of the dirt and oils out of pores and helps minimize their appearance. I use it after the shower on days I have big events and it evens out my complexion and makes my skin glow. My makeup even goes on better after using it.
With Earth Day right around the corner (April 22nd), AVEENO kicked off the month with an ACTIVE NATURALS Forest in New York’s Times Square to launch their BE AN ACTIVE NATURAL campaign. While I’ve been to many pop-up shops, this is definitely my first pop-up forest and most enjoyable (and natural) walk through Times Square!
The forest was part of the AVEENO BE AN ACTIVE NATURAL™ program, which is in an initiative to help raise awareness for healthy living and environmental sustainability. The program, encourages consumers to make small changes in their daily lives and they are rewarding everyone who joins them on FACEBOOK (www.facebook.com/aveeno), and makes a pledge towards a healthier planet. By doing so, you will earn points that
After party to follw at the AXE Lounge in Southhampton.
