UNITED KINGDOM: ELTON JOHN SELLS HIS OLD DESIGNER CLOTHES OFF TO RAISE MONEY FOR AIDS CHARITY

Record ID: 231179

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: ELTON JOHN SELLS HIS OLD DESIGNER CLOTHES OFF TO RAISE MONEY FOR AIDS CHARITY
  • Date: 28th November 1997
  • Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 28, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/SV QUEUES WAITING OUTSIDE ELTON SHOP "OUT OF THE CLOSET 2" TO OPEN (2 SHOTS) 0.15 2. SV/CU POP SINGER ELTON JOHN CUTTING TAPE TO OPEN SHOP 0.24 3. SCU MAN WAITING IN CROWD SAYING HE LIKES AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME) FOUNDATION BUT HE LIKES ELTON JOHN'S CLOTHES MORE ,AND THAT'S WHY HE'S DOWN. (ENGLISH) 0.33 4. GV INTERIOR ,PEOPLE LOOKING THROUGH RACK OF CLOTHES/ CU OF SUITS OF CLOTHES ON RACKS (3 SHOTS) 0.47 5. GV VARIETY OF SHOES ON DISPLAY 0.50 6. SCU ELTON JOHN SAYING I'VE SO MANY CLOTHES THAT PERIODICALLY I NEED TO GET RID OF THEM, INSTEAD OF KEEPING THEM ,AND IT'S A GREAT WAY TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE AIDS FOUNDATION (ENGLISH) 0.58 7. SV WOMAN LADEN WITH CLOTHES IN SHOP 1.01 8. SCU ELTON JOHN SAYING IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME THAT WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY IT AND WHEN AFFORD TO BUY STUFF PEOPLE GIVE YOU STUFF SO IT'S A MIXTURE BUT IAM A SHOPAHOLIC AND IT'S NICE THAT PEOPLE WILL GET BENEFIT OF ME BEING A SHOPAHOLIC (ENGLISH) 1.13 9. SV RACKS OF JACKETS/YELLOW JACKET WITH 75 POUND PRICE LABEL 1.21 10. GV/SV U.S FAN CLUB ORGANISER SHARON KALINOSKI PAYING FOR PURCHESES/ CLOTHES ON COUNTER 1.31 11. SCU KALINOSKI SAYING SHE BOUGHT A LOT OF SWEATERS, GIANNI VERSACE SWEATERS, SHIRTS,HAT,NECKTIES... THEY'RE VERY CHEAP.. IAM A BIG FAN OF ELTON JOHN AND I HAVE LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE COUNTING ON ME TO BRING THEM BACK SOME SOUVENIRS (ENGLISH) 1.52 12. SV ASSISTANTS PACKING CLOTHES IN BAGS/ HANDING THEM TO CUSTOMERS 2.02 13. SV PEOPLE LOOKING AT CLOTHES/ CLOTHES BEING PACKED 2.11 14. SV WOMAN PAYING FOR CLOTHES 2.25 15. GV ELTON JOHN LEAVING SHOP AND HOLDING UP JACKET / MEDIA 2.37 16. GV ELTON JOHN WALKING PAST CROWD, SIGNING AUTOGRAPH FOR FAN, GETTING IN CAR 2.48 17. SV CAR DRIVING AWAY AND ELTON JOHN WAVING 2.59 Initials s.3 - p.3.4 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 13th December 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA3ZAKQ4KZDZMFPOEUUN9I35TE7
  • Story Text: INTRO: Pop singer Elton John has taken his own clothes "Out of the Closet" for a new charitable venture - selling his second hand designer outfits to raise money for AIDS charities.

    Elton John opened his wardrobe on Friday (November 28) to exploit his last remaining addiction - shopping for a good cause.

    For larger-than-life Elton, no ordinary charity auction will do. In order to disperse no less than 10,000 cast-off items of clothing he has to open a shop in London's West End, with everything sold at knock-down prices.

    Hundreds of bargain hunters queued at the designer sale of the year to snap up Versace shirts for just 25 pounds sterling while scores of gaudy ties were selling for just 15 pounds sterling each at the shop in Piccadilly, central London.

    Elton, 50, spent only three years accumulating the collection spending 2.5 million pounds sterling (4.25 million U.S dollars) in the process.

    Now he is selling them for 10 per cent of their original value and aims to raise to 250,000 pounds (425,000 U.S. dollars) for the Elton John Aids Foundation.

    Taking pride of place among the hugely varied and brightly coloured items was a 6,000 pound leather suit by Versace, whose funeral Elton attended after the designer was murdered in Florida earlier this year.

    The Rocket Man, a self-confessed shopping fanatic, paused briefly outside to pose with two Versace jackets, one with a dalmatian print and the other leopard skin.

    One man, who preferred to remain anonymous, bought at least 14 items including six jackets and shirts, belts and ties.

    Only medium sized men will find clothes to fit. The clothes vary between sizes 32-36 inches (waist) and the shoes vary between size eight and nine (British).

    Multi-millionaire Elton, 50, has said that his generous giving simply encouraged him to buy more in the first place.

    "If I have one addiction left in my life these days, it is shopping," he said.

    "I just love buying clothes, especially knowing that all my purchases will ultimately be re-cycled to raise money for charity.

    "I just hope that the people who come to the new shop have as much fun buying the clothes as I did." Some of his more outrageous stage costumes were among the outfits heaped on the shelves of Out Of The Closet 2 in Dover Street, London.

    But so will many of the day-to-day designer shirts, suits, shoes and other items, many unworn, which will be sold at a fraction of the original prices with proceeds going to the Elton John Aids Foundation.


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