Be Cycle & Fashion. 12 Designers Customize Bikes For Charity.

above: Kenzo Takada's custom Peugeot is one of twelve bikes that will be auctioned off in September

Idenium PR agency, web-tv channel The Heart and Sylvie Burger Council have garnered several big names in fashion and design: Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Ylan Anoufa, Gabriella Cortes (founder of Antik Batik), Karim Bonnet, Francois Duris for Peugeot, Marithe and Francois Girbaud, Kaori Ito for Elieux by Jean-Claude Jitrois, Jerome L'Huillier, Ora-Ito, On Aura Tout Vu for Swarovski and Kenzo Takada to design and execute custom Peugeot Bikes which will be auctioned off and whose proceeds will benefit ACT Responsible, whose aim is to promote environmental and social causes.



above: 4 of the 12 designers pose with their bikes, which are shown in greater detail below

A cult object and symbol of a responsible attitude, cycling has recently made its comeback in many major cities. Very likely, it became the flagship of the new eco-committed generation. Meanwhile, fashion, luxury and design have established a real dialogue for several years with creative and sustainable development, turning it even more attractive. Therefore it made sense to these French and International fashion designers to participate and customize one of the famous "fixed gear" bikes made & provided by Peugeot.



Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, who designed more than one bike as well as the logo, for the project:




Antik Batik (Gabriella Cortes):



François Duris:



Kenzo Takada:



Karim Bonnet:


Jean-Claude Jitrois:


Marithé & François Girbaud:



Ylan Anoufa:



Kaori Ito for Elieux and Jerome Huillier:


By transforming these twelve bikes into true pieces of art, artists expressed their vision of an ethical fashion, in line with the times, in order to sensitize the public to experience the daily life and sustainable development in a friendly and creative way.


For Caroline Saslawsky (shown above with Herve de Clerck), founder and President of Idenium, Sylvie Burger, project consultant (SB Conseil) and Anna Neneman, co-founder of OHC: "It appeared obvious to combine our expertise to create a unique event gathering ecology & glamour marrying these two worlds increasing then both values: sustainability and fashion."

The bikes were revealed for the first time this past week at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes from June 21-26th. The bikes will be auctioned off in Paris in September by Mr. Cornette de Saint-Cyr.

all photos by Guillaume Malheiro

The bike customization concept has been created by the Press agency IDENIUM and co-produced by Sylvie Burger Conseil and ONE HEART CHANNEL, a TV channel dedicated to solidarity and environmental causes.

all images, press release information courtesy of Idenium and ACT Responsible

Vipp & Helena Christensen Get Designers To Do Trash For Charity.

Danish design company Vipp and Danish supermodel Helena Christensen join forces in raising money for children affected by the Chernobyl disaster, and for the poor of New York City.

To mark the opening of a Vipp showroom in New York, Vipp is arranging a large-scale charity auction in collaboration with Danish supermodel Helena Christensen who also resides in New York.


Above: supermodel Helene Christensen

"A Danish supermodel and a Danish design icon working together to help the city in which both have settled. There is no better match, and we are very happy that Helena Christensen has agreed to work with us", says Kasper Egelund, owner of Vipp Inc. in the US. Kasper is also grandson of Holger Nielsen who designed the original Vipp pedal bin in 1939.

Apart from having accepted being the key figure in "Vipp Charity Auction for Helena Christensen", the Danish supermodel has also taken on the task of designing three Vipp pedal bins. The starting point will be a selection of the photos taken by Helena Christensen over the recent years where her career as a model has been supplemented by a career as a photographer.


Above: One of Helen's designs for the Vipp Benefit

Several American and international artists and designers will be designing Vipp pedal bins, including Bono, Robert Verdi, Francisco Costa, Alice Temerly, fashion designers Michael Bastian and Cynthia Rowley.

I managed to find some of the wonderful designs that will be auctioned off and here they are.

Alice Temerly:

Ingrid Hoffman:

Todd Oldham:

Dominic Wilcox:

Michael Bastian:

Dale Chiluly:


Robert Verdi:

Simon Doonan:

Bono:

Francisco Costa:

Mattia Biagi:

Above: Of his tar-dipped bin, L.A. artist Mattia Biagi says, “It represents the relationship between human beings and their own pollution in our modern society.”

The profits raised at the event will be given to two organizations: Chernobyl Children's Project International (CCPI) and Foodbank New York City.




CCPI helps children suffering from the 1986 disaster at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, and Foodbank New York City distributes food to the needy and homeless of New York City.

"We have guaranteed the two organisations an amount of USD 50,000.00 upfront. But, we believe that is only the beginning", says Kasper Egelund.

Vipp is currently inviting other personalities to contribute with designs for the charity auction which will take place on September 18^th in New York.

Public viewing and bidding will be at The Conran Shop, Sept. 4-17, 407 E. 59th St., NYC, (212) 755-9079.

This is not the first time Vipp has solicited designers for benefits and events. Here are some of the memorable trash can designs from past auctions and events:

Philippe Starck and his Vipp design from the 2005 charity auction in Paris for Handicap International:


Ron Arad and his "crash o1" Vipp design from the 2006 charity auction in London to benefit Oxfam:


And in 2006, The Louvre in Paris showed this collection embellished with Swarovski Crystals by chilean designer Mauricio Clavero:


The Vipp Story:

Above: Holger Nielsen and his wife Marie

The Vipp pedal bin was designed and produced for the first time by Holger Nielsen in 1939. During the late 1990's the bin experienced its breakthrough as an international design icon, and it is now sold all over the world.


Above: The first Vipp trash can in 1939

Vipp has just opened a showroom in New York City. The Vipp pedal bin is still produced and hand-assembled in Denmark.



The company is owned by Kasper, Sofie and Jette Egelund (shown above), second and third generations after Holger Nielsen.


The Vipp site