Style Philanthropy

This August, the Society of St. Vincent De Paul is calling on Dublin’s fashionable and charitable denizens to drop off unwanted clobber at special clothes banks as part of its ‘Donate with Style’ clothing appeal.

The banks will be set up at EC House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2 for one week only (22nd- 26th August) as part of the European Year of Volunteering Roadshow (EYV2011) which hopes to generate new recruits such as retail staff for some of the society's 33 Dublin-based clothes stores (soon to be 34!).

In recent months the SVP has seen a significant drop in donations, especially clothing. In the medium to long term, this will significantly impact on the work of Vincent’s shops and the raising of funds for SVP generally. 

For more information on the ‘Donate with Style’ clothing appeal or about the Vincent’s charity shops in the Dublin Region, call Jane Bergin on (01) 8198413.

Oxfam Tee - Eilis Boyle

Last month I had the privilege of modelling for Eilis Boyle. Eilis was one of five Irish designers chosen to create a t-shirt for Oxfam on the subject of climate change. The tees will be sold exclusively in A|wear from Friday, October 1st with all proceeds going directly to the charity. Take a look below at the genesis from our D-light studio shoot to the final campaign shots. Don't foget to buy a tee and support Oxfam!

Photographer: Beta Bajgartova www.fotobeta.cz
Hair: Irene and Clare Devereux @ Ziggy's Salon 01 454 4030
Make-up: Ellen Quinn-Banville

Venue: D-Light Studios - www.d-lightstudios.com

The Tee

Campaign Shots
Styled by Angela Scanlon
Shot by Johnny Savage

Talent for Haiti

An online auction has been organised by designers Eilis Boyle and Helen James to raise as much funds as possible for the Haitian relief efforts. All proceeds (minus eBay and PayPal fees) will be donated to Medecins sans Frontieres. Donations are being accepted at Bow Boutique in Dublin's Powerscourt Town Centre (01 604 0044) before Tues, Jan 26th. Bidding starts on Thurs, Jan 28th. I'll be donating a Paul & Joe jacket, a Quinn & Donnelly dress and other items. Please give or bid generously. xx

Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

It's been a bad news week folks. Apart entirely from strikes, budget cuts and football fouls, the recent horrific flood damage warrants a serious pick-me-up; or maybe just an Ark°. Ark° is a new ethical Irish clothing brand pioneering positive social action through fashion. Standing for Acts of Random Kindness, the idea is that you perform one ARK every time you wear the clothing. Not only is Ark° the first clothing range in the world to allow people to look good while doing good, it also has a purpose other than profit. Instead of profits going toward personal gain, they are reinvestment back into projects organised in Zambia, Nepal, the Phillipines, Melbourne, and even Connemara. If you're stuck for a Crimbo gift, why not give an Ark°. Heck, go the whole Noah and hug it out with Thierry Henry! Get yours @ ArkHQ.com.

Handbags and Gladrags

An email from my sister Mags:

You probably don't think of fashion and finance in the same sentence...but let me tell you what's been going on here in Citi Ireland. A Fundraising Day for the Irish Cancer Society (Citi's 2009 Charity of the Year) happened today with the theme "Handbags and Gladrags". The selection would make any fashionista's head swirl with all the rails of designer handbags and clothing donated for a raffle including worn-once eveningwear and a love-me Aideen Bodkin coat. It wasn't just for the ladies as some of the Citi men were treated to a selection of ties and cufflinks (most of them Louis Coupeland). What's more, we raised €2,000 for the Irish Cancer Society!

Irish Cancer Society shops are dotted around the country. Donate or buy - all for a great cause.