Philanthropy

Barbie, the Mattel doll, has become less a pop culture icon and more a pseudo celebrity. To celebrate her 50th birthday (although she looks better than ever) designers Alexander Wang and Diane Von Furstenberg sent Barbie-inspired designs down the runway at Bryant Park. Plus, luxe jewelry firm Bulgari hired Barbie to endorse their Save the Children “Rewrite the Future” campaign, a campaign that supports education programs for children in war-torn areas. Bulgari gave Barbie a slight image revamp and, of course, a silver Bulgari ring with a Save the Children inscription engraved inside the band. The real life version charity Bulgari ring retails for $555, for a very good cause. The Rewrite the Future campaign by Bulgari features 11 jewelry pieces and seven timepieces whose sales will help fund the Bulgari dedication of 10 million euros to Save the Children by the end of this year. Bulgari has already made a 1 million euro donation to Rewrite the Future and other real-life celebrities in support of the cause include: Julianne Moore, Benicio Del Toro, Ben Stiller, Gabriele Muccino, Jason Lewis, Andy Garcia, Valeria Golino, Sally Field, Sting, Willem Dafoe, Rosario Fiorello, Isabella Rossellini and Debra Messing. Barbie is one lucky b****!

Prince Harry's official 36-hour jaunt to Manhattan was a win by all accounts. Prince Harry began at Ground Zero, after which 36-hours were packed and condensed into six very public appearances. A media frenzy swarmed the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Governors Island in New York Harbor on Saturday. Where Prince Harry for team Sentebale faced off against Argentinian polo player Nacho Figueras.

The polo match was mobbed with celebrities like Madonna and on/off lover Jesus Luz, actresses Kate Hudson and Chloe Sevigny, rapper LL Cool J, Matt Lauer, and designer Marc Jacobs, plus, notable LVMH corporate names. Before the match Prince Harry mingled and charmed the VIP area in a navy blue blazer, collared shirt and white pants. Even going so far as to pick up and console somebody's sobbing child, on the whole he was good with the kids.

Harry geared up for the polo match and was a good sport playing with horses he had never seen, let alone, rode before. Despite the foreign horses, Prince Harry scored the tie-breaking, winning goal for team Sentebale ; score 6 to 5. The team celebrated polo victory (and charity profits) by popping a Veuve Clicquot bottle of champagne, duh. The Prince parted saying,  "It's my first visit to New York. I'm hopeful I'll come back to visit again." Maybe next trip he will have some down time to play out on the New York night scene!

New York City hasn’t seen a polo match in decades and Prince Harry hasn't seen New York. That's all about to change this weekend, as the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic is this coming Saturday, May 30. Prince Harry will play Polo to raise money for the children in Lesotho, a charity near and dear to his heart. The Asprey’s house team will play Ralph Lauren’s Black Watch team and it will all go down on Governors Island.

Rumors are swirling about who will show to the event, which is a ferry ride away form lower Manhattan. Names like Madonna, Simmons and Trump have been dropped. Members on the host committee include Aby and Samantha Rosen, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Tinsley Mortimer, Peter Brant, Cornelia Guest and Georgina Bloomberg. We will see who shows up for the social soiree of the season. Ladies don't forget your big, fancy polo hats!
 

The Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic will happen on May 30th, in New York. This year, Prince Harry will be playing in the polo match to raise money for his charity foundation.  All money raised will be going to American Friends of Sentebale (sentebale.org), a charity that was actually co-founded by Prince Harry. The Sentebale Foundation aims to help Lesotho's orphans and the fight against the HIV/Aids epidemic. Sentebale committee chairs include Mark Cornell, CEO of Moet Hennessy, and his wife Lucy Cornell. Vice chairs are Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Samantha and Aby Rosen, Cornelia Guest.

Prince Harry's team, captained by Nick Raldo will play against captain Nacho Figueras' team. Figueras also happens to be the new handsome face of Ralph Lauren's Polo fragrance. The Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo match will be held on Governor's Island which is a ferries ride from lower Manhattan. The picnic area will be open to the public for free, additionally, there will be a VIP tent with lunch, by ticket only. A Veuve Clicquot champagne picnic lunch and the Royal treatment starts at $500. Remember Polo is fabulous, this match is for charity, and you get to watch the very sexy Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras duke it out! What could be better on a Saturday afternoon? For more information about Polo Classic visit the Veuve Clicquot site.

Donald Trump claims “now” is the time to buy property, if only it were that easy.  Many who still have the money to buy “now” can’t find financing. If financing isn’t stopping you, consider yourself lucky and look to South Beach. Right now in South Beach properties are being sold for way less than asking price.  Take, for instance, luxury building Murano at Portofino, located at 1000 S Pointe Drive in the South Beach area of Miami Beach. Where a penthouse unit with an asking price of $12,000,000 just sold for $7,600,000. The spacious three bedrooms, five and a half bath unit is just one example of what’s going on in South Beach, there are lots more just like this. The question is, when will the real estate market finally hit bottom? The question is tough to answer but it seems like buyers are moving towards the beach. Activity is gradually picking up, more inquiries, and more viewings, will sooner or later translate into more sales.

Oscar-nominated British actress Kiera Knightley is posing for the greater good. Knightley's latest work was done underwater with photographer Candice. No it's not Knightley's next Pirates movie but rather the Fresh20 campaign for the charity WaterAid. WaterAid is a UK-based, Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to bringing fresh water, sanitation and hygiene education to Asia and Africa. The Fresh20 campaign will draw attention to the issue with photos of icons like Knightley holding their breath underwater. Kelly Brook and Lily Cole recently posed too and the entire project will be documented by Bafta-award winning director Andy Matthews. Matthews hopes a film documentary will raise more global awareness on clean water issues. Just because you have water free flowing doesn't mean everybody else doesl. For more information about WaterAid and the Fresh20 campaign just google it.

In Miami if you to want  make money you have to spend money; and that’s just what the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis has done.  On Saturday, March 7th multi-platinum recording artist and three-time Grammy Award Winner SEAL will be the musical headliner for Destination Fashion 2009. Destination Fashion is the upscale charity event presented by Stewart Rahr for the Buoniconti Fund, at the famous Bal Harbour Shops. The main attraction will be American designer and icon Michael Kors with his exclusive Spring 2009 Collection couture show in Saks Fifth Avenue. Dinner and more drinks to follow afterward, hosted by Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour. The best of Bal Harbor big names like Mui Mui, Cartier, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, plus more have contributed over $250,000 worth of exclusive auction items. All attracting high society and celebrity to mingle next Saturday night, for a good cause. Imagine LIfestyles will be there, stay posted!

 

Last Saturday night began at the Museum of Contemporary Art Bollywood themed, annual Pop Gala. Complete with red carpet, photogs and Indian garb dressed greeters. To the right of the entrance was the private Cartier sponsored Ruby Room, entrance fee: $10,000 for four tickets. When it comes to art, some people can still afford to spend. Upon walking into the museum, the walls were lined with silent auction items rather than art, big disappointment. Nothing caught our eye in the auction but it was all in the name of art preservation which is always a good cause. The crowd moved out to the back tent, a massive tent equipped with a separate beer bar, wine bar and vodka bar plus a fourth bar for good measure.  H'ors deurves circled the floor and two long tables held Indian cuisine buffets, plus a massive dessert display. A dance floor in the middle and throngs of wealthy Miamians mingling about. The award winning song from Slumdog Millionaire came on and Indian dancers took to the floor. The acknowledgements for the Gala were made and then the DJ started spinning M.I.A, the older crowd cleared out and the younger socialites took over, the party began.

We left the MOCA Gala shortly after and headed for dinner at Nobu in the Shoreclub. After dinner rather then do one of the bigger clubs on the beach like LIV in the Fountainebleau or Louis in the Gansevoort South Hotel, we headed for Bella Rose. A local bar off the beaten path and hipster cult favorite. Bella has been making waves all the way into the New York Times by pushing the party envelope. Thanks to fresh ideas and an effort not to sell out, Bella keeps the high energy vibe where everyone knows anything goes. We weren't sure if Saturday's new "Bella Donna" party could match Sunday's, Alexis Mincolla hosted "Black Sunday," it did. The fact that celebrity designer Calvin Klein ventured into party with the cool kids says enough. Klein kept composed, watching the Bella mayhem with a smile. Calvin Klein is by no means the first A-lister to make his way into Bella Rose. Klein is just a newby on Miami Beach, the 65 year old semi-retired fashion designer recently bought a 1920's style Spanish Villa in Miami. Mr. Klein said he wants his new home to have a Mediterranean feel, as if it were “in Greece or something.” And just in case the Mediterranean home is too far away after a night partying on South Beach, Calvin can shack up in his apartment on Collins Avenue. As Klein knows how to live luxuriously and has an avid love of exotic cars, we are sure there will be more conversations between us to follow. After the last five New York winters, Calvin Klein felt he needed two South Florida residencies just to keep warm. As for us we danced like maniacs for the rest of the night, oh, and MOCA raised $60,000 just from the auction!

Everybody owns an iPod, most people own a few. An iPod for the gym, one for the car, one to sing with in the shower; a nano, a touch, a shuffle, a mini, etc. etc. So what's the harm in just one more iPod, especially if its for a good cause?

A new set of Swarovski-crystal studded iPods is in to collect. Designed exclusively by the "Rocket Man" himself, that is Sir Elton John. A Portion of the proceeds will go to Sir Elton's AIDS Foundation. The "Starburst" set for Elton John AIDS Foundation are available in, count them, nine bling-tastic colors. Each nano is adorned with 250 color-coordinated Swarovski crystals, rainbows and glitter, oh my. The nanos are available in 8GB and 16G versions and each one comes complete with "Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits CD" by Elton John, of course. Plus, his signature engraved on the back. Only 1000 limited edition Starburst EJAF iPods will be made available. You can get yours from the Elton John AIDS Foundation or Selfridges for just $500. If you're not into Elton John then get a regular nano and beadazzle it, if you're a diehard fan then order your Starburst iPod immediately. And if you don't care either way about Elton John, this iPod is still a shiny gift idea and, moreover, a donation to a good cause. 

 

The Super Bowl XLII commercials were sub par this year. That's probably because NBC rejected all the good ones. The Janet Jackson incident sent NBC over the censor-edge and now they censor all the juicy-ness right out. Like Peta's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Super Bowl ad, which featured sexed-up models powerless to resist the temptation of veggie love. NBC rejected the commercial with a list of concerns. Some of which were, "rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin, licking eggplant, and rubbing asparagus on breast." At least, the Super Bowl game kept us glued to the screen. See Peta's too hot for TV ad, which NBC pulled. Should NBC keep Super Bowl PG? 

For the 44th President,-elect a select bottle of Cognac. Hennessy got into the Barack Obama hoopla with a special edition bottle of cognac. The collector-bottle is cheap at $30 bucks.  If you're not into Barack Obama or Cognac, know that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Thurgood Marshell College Fund which gives scholarships to kids attending historically Black colleges. If you're still not into Hennessy's 44th limited edition Cognac then you're most likely not human. A grand total of 180,000 Obama inspired Cognac bottles will me made available to the American people. You can get your hands on one namely in Washington, D.C, New York City, Maryland, Illinois and apparently, Georgia. Put up shot glasses ya'll and drink to "unlimited potential" as Hennessy says. Potential or not getting drunk makes everything better!

This is semi-nauseating but we will still tell you what we found this week on eBay. You can always find bazaar celebrity crap on eBay but this might take the cake. This week you can find Scarlett Johansson's used tissue. She was just on NBC's "Tonight" show promoting her new movie but no one really paid attention to that but, rather, the cold she caught from movie co-star Samual L. Jackson was a point of interest. Johansson was sniffling so Jay Leno handed her a tissue and voile its on eBay now. At least the money is going to a good cause, the actress publicly pledged to put all the money towards the hunger relief charity USA Harvest. Last time we took a look the snotty tissue had some 70 bids and was up to about $35K. The auction ends on Monday so if you're seriously obsessed you better get to it. We know Johansson probably has some psycho stalkers out there who would encase and cherish the tissue forever, go figure.

Here we go. Harrods the London-based luxury retailer we die for has been having a charity auction since December 8th. 'Tis the season of giving and Harrods will be donating all auction proceeds to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, how sweet.

Among the glitz and glam for auction is the world's most expensive man-shirt. For the man who already has everything, get him the white shirt by Eton. The collared shirt is fabricated in premier Egyptian cotton, plus, you know, some diamonds. Yup, multi-colored diamond buttons and cuff-links ya'll. Your man will be pleased with this addition to his wardrobe. He will command and dazzle any holiday party this year in the Eton shirt. The diamond-encrusted shirt is valued at $28,258.00 but it's an auction so for the sake of charity, we hope it pulls in more. In this day in age, diamonds aren't just a girls best friend.

Thanksgiving is a day of thanks and giving and Kim Karashian actually seems be doing both. The reality-tv buxom beauty, ex- Paris Hilton bff, Playboy girl and step sister of Brody Jenner, is auctioning off her stuff on eBay for charity.

Her charity of choice is the Dream foundation, which is an organization that grants wishes to terminally-ill adults, very similar to the Make A Wish Foundation for children. Kim volunteers for the organization and a portion of all her eBay proceeds will go to the charity.

Kim will be auctioning off her designer clothes, shoes, bags and even a Range Rover, Mercedes, and Maserati from her car collection. Plus, Kim's convinced her two sisters Kourtney and Kloe, along with boyfriend Reggie Bush to auction off their belongings too. Kim Kardashian's charity auctions are running on eBay now and will be up through Decemeber 3rd. So if you have a Kardashian obsession, want something pricey at discount or just like giving back too, go to eBay right now and bid. No matter how small the feat, every little piece helps so thank you Kim. It is kind of cool to see the famous and rich doing their part and giving back. Happy Thanksgiving ya'll and Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year so help our economy out and go spend money!

No one really cared when Subaru and L.L. Bean hooked up. Or blinked when Mercury and Nautica collaborated. Even Levis Edition Jeeps weren't that, that cool.

Now get this, South Korean car maker Hyundai and Italian fashion house Prada are hooking up. A few years back when economic times were good, this would have been a laughable, probably disasterous decision on Prada's part. Having said that, being in the great depression has upped Hyundai's ante, fill in the blanks yourself.

Hyundai's new Genesis sedan is considered upscale now, enough for Prada though? We thought Prada was hungry for attention but with more research found that the house was just being Philanthropic. Thank god the economy hasn't fully messed up the high-fashion universe.

This coming April, Hyundai will highlight one of only three Prada Genesis sedans at the Seoul Motor show in Korea. The other two Prada furnished Genesis' will be auctioned off for charity at the Prada Transformer show. Transformer is a standout project, which will be unveiled and hosted all by Prada, in Seoul, South Korea, this summer. Transformer is a tetrahedron structure in lieu of a theater that will house cultural, artistic and fashion events. Thus, the Hyundai Genesis begins to make more sense, South Korean carmaker, South Korean Show, get it?

The Transformer building will be able to be rotated on each side, with four different facades and floor plate configurations. Thus, floors become walls and walls become the ceiling depending on which event is to be displayed.

All we know is that the buyers of the Prada Genesis cars should expect some of the best leather seats ever and to pay way more for a Hyundai then should even be legal. We applaud the charitable efforts but will never get over the idea of precious Prada in a Hyundai Genesis sedan, gross.