Elton sale gets $700 000
2006-04-18 09:05
New York - A haute couture yard sale from the wardrobe of flamboyant pop star Elton John has raised more than $700 000 to help fund the fight against Aids, a spokesperson for the organisers said on Monday.
All the proceeds from the five-day sale that ended Friday at the Rockefeller Centre in New York will go to the Elton John Aids Foundation, Maya Israel said.
Around 10 000 pieces of classic couture and outrageous outfits from John's eclectic fashion collection and that of his partner, David Furnish, had been included in the charity sale.
Amid $15 and a $5 000 cashmere coat, the collection featured some of John's most fantastic outfits, like the Richard James-designed polka-dot suit he wore during a controversial duet with rapper Eminem at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
But it also includes high-brow tailored suits and pieces by top designer labels such as Versace, Louis Vuitton, Comme des Garcons and Gucci.
The Elton John Aids Foundation has distributed over &60m since 1992 in support of programmes to educate about Aids prevention, to fight prejudice against Aids-infected patients and to provide services to those living with Aids.