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May 9, 2008 10:24 am
Thanks to Margherita Missoni, anyone who thinks shopping is merely a recreational hobby need no longer feel guilty. At least not if they buy the bracelet she commissioned from Greek jewelry designer Ileana Makri. Proceeds from the piece, which went on sale this week at Jeffrey in Chelsea and online at Yoox.com, will go to OrphanAid Africa, a charity that Missoni has been affiliated with since traveling with its founder, Lisa Lovatt-Smith, to Ghana. “I ran into [Lovatt-Smith] at a time in my life when I needed to reassess my values,” Missoni says. “She told me what she was doing, and two weeks later I was with her in Africa. When I came home I founded an Italian chapter of OrphanAid Africa.” In addition to raising awareness, the bracelet will raise much needed funds for the charity. As Missoni explains, “A steady income is what many African charities need to plan for long-term goals.” Hence her idea to launch different types of products for the charity, each one a collaboration with one of her fashionable friends, every three to six months. Next up will be a sneaker she designed with Pro-Keds and Damon Dash, to be followed by a project with Rachel Zoe. “The trick is make it cool enough that someone wants to buy it on its own—and then when they find out it’s for charity, they can’t stop themselves.” In the upcoming weeks, Makri’s design will be sold at Colette in Paris, Matches in London, and 10 Corso Como in Milan. But the trinket has already found itself onto the wrists of some stylish ladies, including Victoria’s Secret angel Selita Ebanks (who is also fronting the bracelet’s campaign), Karolina Kurkova, Joy Bryant, and Mischa Barton.
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