Can It!
by Ali
Design for a Cause
Usually this section is reserved for questions with one person, but this time around I'm focusing on a variety of celebs brought together for a good cause. Design Within Reach and Vipp raised funds for DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids) by having had various artists from the worlds of design, photography, modeling, performance and others design their version of a fancy trash can or as DWR says, "bins." Some of those that generously contributed their designs were Helena Christensen, David Stark, Ralph Lauren, Lady Pink, Calvin Klein, Oscar De La Renta among others. I attended the event and slient auction of several of the bins while the rest were on display and up for silent auction at DWR in Soho, New York City and on EBay.
Veronica Webb was the evening's host and her bin was a collaboration between she and Robert Lee Morris. African-inspired, the bin was also offered with her portrait and original tribal pieces of jewelry by Robert Lee Morris with a vision of things that reach up to the sky. Her collection brought in a whopping $7,500. " I’ve been involved in the fight against AIDS since the early 90’s as a board member of LifeBeat.org. They say, God puts you where you need to be. Right? Right."
Clearly the wrong night for skipping heels when standing next to a supermodel.
Nigel Barker & Lady Bunny
Nigel Barker, Photographer and known for his judging expertise on America's Next Top Model. His bin was printed with a photograph he took while shooting in the Artic. "I truly got a sense of what's happening with global warming while being there." His bin also comes with a print of the same photo featured on the bin. He said, "We're not always looking at the trash we toss, so I figured why not have the same photo displayed near the bin. This way you take note of the beauty that is disappearing and perhaps you start being aware of what you're throwing away."
Lady Bunny, noted drag artiste, emcee, singer, songewriter and founder of Wigstock. When I told her she had a great can, she said, "It's not a trash can. It's Danish, so it's a bin. And if we're going to talk cans, look at my backside. It's so shapely from running away from the cops." With the help of an artist, Lady Bunny's big fake eyelashed eyes (long enough to embarass Tammy Faye Baker) came to life on the bin. Although she said, " With my partying I'm surprised we didn't make the eyes bloodshot." Lady Bunny's bin with the help of Evette Rios sold for $1,100 during the evening's event. Check out more of fab Lady bunny and her sky high wigs at www.ladybunny.net
Five of the one-of-a-kind customized VIPP trash bins were auctioned live at the event. Flashbulbs popped as, under the supervision of Sotheby's auctioneer Benjamin Doller, Nigel Barker and Can It! hostess Veronica Webb auctioned off David Rockwell’s LED-covered bin for $6,500. Yoko Ono’s bin went for $3,400, and Ralph Lauren’s leather-clad bin closed at $3,000 along with Lady Bunny's and Veronica Webb's.
The event raised over $50,000 for DIFFA.
DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS was named one of the top 50 funders of HIV/AIDS service and education organizations in the U.S. by Funders Concerned about AIDS. Since its founding in 1984, DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities to provide more than $38 million to hundreds of AIDS organizations nationwide.
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