Internet shoppers will get a chance to add an unusual item to their wardrobe: the flamboyant swan dress worn by Icelandic singer Björk, which will be auctioned for charity next month.
International aid agency Oxfam said on Thursday the quirky dress, which the unconventional songstress wore to the 2001 Oscars ceremony, is among more than 150 celebrity fashion items that will be up for grabs on the internet auction site eBay. The proceeds will go to Oxfam.
Björk turned heads as she graced the Oscar’s red carpet in the white dress. It features a ruffled feather skirt and an imitation swan’s neck that Björk draped around her own neck, with the bird’s head resting on her breast.
Other celebrity garments and accessories in the charity auction include a screen-print shirt donated by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Yoko Ono’s sunglasses, a pair of fashion designer Stella McCartney’s thigh-high fake leather boots, and a mo-ped helmet used by Britpop band Blur’s Damon Albarn.
The auction is being organised, in conjunction with Oxfam, by an online fashion website and an art magazine that asked celebrities to donate belongings with a story behind them. The successful bidder for each of the pieces will receive the item, as well as a copy of its accompanying story.
“We wanted people to give things that were personal and had a story behind them because bidders will then know they are getting something particularly special to the person concerned and all in aid of a good cause,” said Rose Marsh, an Oxfam spokesperson.
Marsh said she expects the swan dress to draw interest from collectors or “fashion types”.
“It’s the sort of thing that’s kind of priceless,” she said. “We don’t know yet how much these items could raise, but if people get involved in a bidding war over Björk’s dress, then it could be quite a substantial amount.”
Online bidding will be open from September 18 to 25, coinciding with London Fashion Week.
All the money raised will assist Oxfam’s general programme of aid work, Marsh said. — Sapa-AP
On the net
www.showstudio.com/projects/bringandbuy