USA: Elton John auctions 10,000 pieces of clothes and accessories in New York for AIDS foundation

Record ID: 825514

  • Title: USA: Elton John auctions 10,000 pieces of clothes and accessories in New York for AIDS foundation
  • Date: 13th April 2006
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (APRIL 10, 2006) (REUTERS) ROCKEFELLER CENTER WITH FLAGS OUTSIDE POSTER OF "ELTON'S CLOSET" AUCTION ELTON JOHN AND DAVID FURNISH'S CLOTHING ON DISPLAY (4 SHOTS) ELTON JOHN ARRIVING TO OPEN THE SALE CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIR ELTON JOHN, MUSICIAN SAYING: "The object of this sale is to get rid of all our unwanted street clothes, only a few as you can see, to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and, it's really an important thing, we don't want to hang onto anything we don't need anymore, and, throughout the years we have raised over two and a half million dollars by doing this kind of thing, so, I would like to, say to people in New York, whether you are visiting or whether you live in New York - come down here, the clothes have hardly been worn, some of them haven't been worn, there is the most extraordinary collection from T-shirts, to baseball caps to shoes, to flamboyance, to, classic, and spend some money and help other people who desperately need their lives to be changed and improved, and you will be doing a really good thing." JOURNALISTS THOMAS MADDEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TISHMAN SPEYER, SIR ELTON JOHN, DAVID FURNISH AND TERRON SCHAEFER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING FOR SAKS FIFTH AVENUE, OPENING THE SALE ELTON JOHN'S CLOTHES ON DISPLAY (3 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID FURNISH, PRODUCER SAYING: "I think for Elton, and for me, fashion is a celebration of life. It is a real reflection of the world we live in, and, all the colour and all the design and everything, I think it brings Elton great happiness." CLOTHING ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID FURNISH, PRODUCER SAYING: "To me this is like a piece of couture. It's, by Tom Ford, and all the detailing on it is crushed watch springs and they have all been stitched individually by hand onto the jacket, so that's a lot of workmanship, when you think of the time and craftsmanship that went into that, and I loved wearing that on the night, it photographed well and it felt great, and I am sad to part with it but now someone else can enjoy it." ELTON JOHN'S CLOTHING ON DISPLAY
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA4XSHAW2SXTI65HY4HNQDGDPL
  • Story Text: He is as famous for his flamboyant clothing as he is for his music. On Monday (April 10,)it was his wardrobe that was the center of attention. Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish were on-hand in New York to open "Elton's Closet." The five - day public sale of clothing and accessories from their personal wardrobes, will benefit the Elton John's AIDS Foundation.
    Before cutting the ribbon to open the sale, Elton John encouraged the public to come and buy what is a wide array of different types of clothing,
    "The object of this sale is to get rid of all our unwanted street clothes, only a few as you can see, to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and, it's really an important thing, we don't want to hang onto anything we don't need anymore, and, throughout the years we have raised over two and a half million dollars by doing this kind of thing, so, I would like to, say to people in New York, whether you are visiting or whether you live in New York - come down here, the clothes have hardly been worn, some of them haven't been worn, there is the most extraordinary collection from T-shirts, to baseball caps to shoes, to flamboyance, to, classic, and spend some money and help other people who desperately need their lives to be changed and improved, and you will be doing a really good thing."
    Nearly 10,000 items have been donated by the couple. The collection ranges from brand-new, current season garments to gently -worn vintage treasures in a wide variety of sizes. "Elton's Closet" is stocked with thousands of predominantly designer menswear from Versace, Dior, Gucci and Prada to Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. David Furnish, who recently married Elton John, explained what fashion means to them,
    "I think for Elton, and for me, fashion is a celebration of life. It is a real reflection of the world we live in, and, all the colour and all the design and everything, I think it brings Elton great happiness."
    For the more modest buyers there are items going for as little as 15 dollars (USD), but for the more ambitious, are the more recognizable outfits such as the polka-dot suit that Sir Elton wore during his controversial performance with Eminem at the 2001 Grammy Awards, which is expected to run into the thousands come auction.
    For Furnish, some items were harder to part with than others, in particular a jacket he wore when he accompanied model and good friend Elizabeth Hurley a dinner for the American Foundation for AIDS research, he said,
    "To me this is like a piece of couture. It's, by Tom Ford, and all the detailing on it is crushed watch springs and they have all been stitched individually by hand onto the jacket, so that's a lot of workmanship, when you think of the time and craftsmanship that went into that, and I loved wearing that on the night, it photographed well and it felt great, and I am sad to part with it but now someone else can enjoy it."
    The sale is estimated to gross about one and a half million dollars and is being hosted by Tishman Speyer, co-owners of the Rockefeller Center and co-sponsored by Top of the Rock - the observation deck at the Rockefeller Center, SAKS Fifth Avenue.
    The Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised over 90 million dollars (USD) since 1992 to support HIV/AIDS prevention and service programs in 55 countries around the world.

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