BEIJING, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Versace hosted the first fashion show in China, and a fashion charity gala fundraiser to benefit the Jet Li One Foundation, in Beijing on Nov. 13, 2008.
(Photo: http://www.prnchina.com/sa/2008/11/200811241651.jpg )
Donatella Versace, as promised during her last visit in 2006 to China, presented her latest S/S 2009 women’s and men’s collections to over 900 of China and Asia’s top celebrities, socialites, officials, business and style leaders. The house of Versace designed and built a replica of their Milan Teatro in the courtyard of Legation Quarters, China’s premier lifestyle concept and Beijing’s most prestigious venue in the very heart of the Capital. Jet Li, internationally acclaimed actor and founder of the One Foundation, also joined the event.
The Versace Company, currently in a year-long partnership with the One Foundation, has financed the opening of a centre dedicated to providing psychological post-trauma therapy and counselling for children. As with everything Versace does, they approach corporate and social responsibility in a unique and creative fashion. Instead of making one off donations, Versace feels it is more important to get directly involved, more hands on, and, most importantly, to create a program that is long term.
On November 11th, on the eve of the day six months ago that the earthquake disaster struck the province of Sichuan, Donatella Versace visited the Versace One Foundation Children’s Centre, in San Jiang, accompanied by Jet Li, and spent some time with the 400 children and their families who benefited from this relief.
Versace, now with 21 boutiques across mainland China, is fully committed to the long-term recovery of the areas devastated by this year’s earthquakes and is actively working with the Jet Li One Foundation to fund and fully operate the children’s centre for one year.
After the fashion show, the company also aims to raise sufficient funds to open a second or ideally a third centre with a "One of a kind" auction, conducted by Sotheby’s, which includes exclusive lots of luxurious products and once in a lifetime experiences, donated by Versace and Jet Li.
Along with the evening’s auction, to raise additional funds on a long-term basis and to commemorate this partnership, Versace has also designed and created an exclusive Versace One Foundation logo. This logo can be found on a range of limited edition Versace One Foundation merchandise that Donatella Versace introduces into her collections for one year. These items are now exclusively available in Versace boutiques in Mainland China, with the first pieces on sale following the Versace One Fashion Charity Gala on November 14th, 2008.
100% of the proceeds from the Versace One Foundation merchandise will be donated to the One Foundation charity, to help achieve Versace’s goal: to open further Versace One Foundation children’s centres in Sichuan for much needed psychological post-trauma relief for the victims of the earthquakes.
Immediately following the fashion show, as the grand finale of Donatella Versace’s second tour to China, Versace also became the first fashion and luxury brand to officially host a private dinner for 200 inside the Forbidden City, located at Duan Men.
Donatella Versace says: "The images we have seen and continue to see from the Sichuan Province on our television screens and in our newspapers show the enormity of the plight facing the earthquake victims. I believe that this special programme that we have created together with the One Foundation will help give back to the community by providing centres where families can send their children to study, and most importantly where we can help them overcome the trauma of this tragedy by offering psychological counselling. As a mother, I instinctively wanted to do something for the families that are suffering. It is not only a responsibility and a duty, but also a true honour to participate in such a project."
Jet Li says: "I am very thankful that Versace, a company dedicated to social responsibility, has chosen the One Foundation as a partner. I would like to officially welcome Versace to the One Foundation family. We hope our efforts will bring smiles to the children who have not been so fortunate due to the earthquakes."
For more information on the One Foundation, please visit:
http://www.one-foundation.com
