Christie's 2011 Green Auction
New York/London/Hong Kong - January
19, 2011 - Christie’s International, the world’s leading art business, and Runway to Green announce
the second annual “Bid to Save the Earth” Green Auction. The online auction, powered by
charitybuzz.com, is open from March 17th to April 7th and the Live Event, hosted by Christie’s at
The Green Auction environmental partners include the core
2010 partners: Oceana, Conservation International, NRDC and Central Park Conservancy, which
harness their collective efforts
to design local, national, and international solutions for the most urgent
environmental threats confronting
humanity.Christie’s is very pleased
to be partnering with Runway to Green - a pioneer in greening the fashion
industry - and four of the most acclaimed NGO’s in the world,” said
Edward Dolman, Chairman of Christie’s. By
hosting the Green Auction, Christie’s is taking the lead with innovative
ways to raise crucial funds and awareness for the preservation of our planet,
and we are happy to be a global catalyst in such a noble endeavor.”
The 2011 Green Auction marks the inaugural partnership with
Runway to Green (RTG). The unprecedented
collaboration between these two organizations brings together top art collectors, philanthropists, financiers, and environmentalists with the
fashion community, utilizing their combined influence to raise funds and awareness for the
preservation and sustainability of our planet. “This
collaboration constitutes one of the most important commitments made on behalf
of the fashion industry to learn and address its impact on the environment,” said Runway to Green Chairman Lorenzo
Roccia. “It uses the power and
reach of the industry to deliver a global message
about the relevance and necessity to be educated on our individual
role and responsibility in protecting the environment.”
Runway to Green will host a fashion show on the night of the live
auction and make designer collection
selections available online through - -Net-a-Porter-- who will be the exclusive
online retailer of the collection
for the launch. Proceeds from the sale of the collection will also be divided among the beneficiary organizations.
Runway to Green’s involvement in this initiative links the fashion
industry to the NRDC’s Clean by
Design program recently launched to promote improvement in the environmental
impact of the apparel
sector. The NRDC will work closely with each of the designers in the program to provide an education on the negative effects
of mainstream production and on ways to be more green and efficient.
In order to make ‘BID’ as green-inclusive as possible, the online
auction will carry the majority of celebrity
and once-in-a lifetime experiences, so that anyone -- anywhere -- in the world
has a chance to BID by logging on and
pitching in. The Bid to Save the Earth ACTIONEER Award contest invites the general public to join
this movement by submitting their stories and personal initiatives, which demonstrate how they are
engaging their communities, and making a positive impact on the environment. The emphasis will
be on grassroots actions of conservation, which are already set in place, have achieved
measurable results, and are ongoing projects. Entries will be submitted via www.abidtosavetheearth.org and will be accepted between February 1, 2011 and March 1, 2011.
The March 29 event will be hosted by: François-Henri Pinault and Salma
Hayek, David and Susan Rockefeller and
Graydon and Anna Carter, in association with Vogue magazine. The evening will also
debut the Runway to Green collection with a fashion show co-styled by Vogue’s
Fashion Director, Tonne Goodman
and Vogue’s Contributing Editor, Tabitha Simmons . Susan and I are delighted to be co-chairs
again this year for “Bid To Save The Earth’” said David Rockefeller, Jr. “We all must do our part to protect the natural world for our children’s
children. Everyone can support the Green Auction
through the Internet - a truly democratic way to stand up
for Mother Earth. “
We are pleased to announce that Bid to Save the Earth will be a carbon
neutral event and we are working with the
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to provide the carbon offset for the event. Please visit www.BidtoSavetheEarth.org for more information on the online and live auctions.
In addition to bidding in the online auction, the public is invited to
make a symbolic bid for the environment
by texting “gogreen” to 20222 to donate $10. Funds from text “gogreen” will go towards Bid to Save the Earth beneficiaries.
Those interested in sponsoring or contributing to this charitable cause
may contact:
Toby Usnik at tusnik@christies.com.
Christie’s will waive all fees and commissions for the auction.
FOLLOW
THE GREEN
TWITTER at twitter.com/Bid2SaveEarth
FACEBOOK at Facebook.com/A-Bid-To-Save-The-Earth
PRESS CONTACTS:
Toby Usnik, New York +212.636.2680 tusnik@christies.com
Alexandra Buxton, London+44.20.7389.2117 abuxton@christies.com
Yvonne So, Hong Kong +852.29.78.99.19 yso@christies.com
Megan Salt, Vogue +1.212.286.6884 megan_salt@condenast.com
Jenny Powers, NRDC +1.212.727.4566 jpowers@nrdc.org
Kevin Connor, Oceana +1.202.467.1910 kconnor@oceana.org
Scott Johnson, CPC +1.212.310.6641 sjohnson@centralparknyc.org
Kim McCabe, CI +1.703.341.2546 k.mccabe@conservation.org
Glenda Luft +1.646.315.2664 gluft@charitybuzz.com
Caroline Bassett +1.212-744-0218 bassettmediarelations@gmail.com
About Christie’s
Christie’s, the world's leading art business had global
auction and private sales in 2009 that totaled £2.1 billion/$3.3 billion. For the first half of 2010, art sales totaled £1.7
billion/$2.57 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well
as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th,
19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers
over 450 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs,
collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s has 53 offices in 32 countries and 10
salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More
recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded
initiatives in emerging and new markets such as
About Runway to Green
Runway to Green is a fundraising model that brings together today’s most important and relevant fashion designers to raise funds, educate and create awareness for the environment. Selected leading designers and brands are dedicating or creating an item of their choosing as part of their Fall 2011 collection for Runway to Green. The pieces will be sold worldwide through the designer’s stores, online, select department and retail stores making this truly a global initiative. A percentage of proceeds from sales will go to Runway to Green, which in turn funds leading environmental organizations. (www.runwaytogreen.com)
About the Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an
international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and
online activists. Since 1970, the NRDC’s lawyers, scientists, and other
environmental specialists have been working to protect the world's natural
resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in
About the Central Park Conservancy
The Central Park Conservancy's mission is to restore,
manage, and enhance
About Conservation International
Built upon a strong foundation of science, partnership, and field demonstration, Conservation International (CI) is committed to helping societies adopt a more sustainable approach to development - one that considers and values nature at every turn. Founded in 1987, CI has some 900 employees working in more than 30 global offices and 1,000+ partners around the world. (www.conservation.org)
About Oceana
Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the world's oceans.
Its teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers, and advocates win specific and
concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible
collapse of fish populations, marine mammals, and other sea life. Global in scope
and dedicated to conservation, Oceana has campaigners based in North
America, Europe, and South and
About charitybuzz
A leader in cause marketing, charitybuzz (www.charitybuzz.com) aligns nonprofits with international brands and celebrity icons to raise funds
through innovative online auctions. Featuring pop culture experiences, VIP
events, luxury
travel, fine art, couture fashion and sports memorabilia, charitybuzz brings
its online community of upscale, socially conscious bidders exclusive opportunities to make a
difference. The company enables its bidders to truly doGOOD and liveWELL, generating millions of dollars for
charities around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.charitybuzz.com, email info@charitybuzz.com, fan us on
facebook at www.facebook.com/charitybuzz or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/charitybuzz.
