British fashion model Erin O’Connor is leading the celebrity support of Save the Children’s Christmas ‘Bag to Save a Life’ appeal when it launches tomorrow, Friday 25th November 2011. Erin is joined by other well-known names such as Sienna Miller, Tilda Swinton, Florence Welch, Gemma Arterton, Georgia May Jagger, Annie Lennox and the UK’s Prime Minister’s wife and Save the Children Ambassador, Samantha Cameron to raise funds for the charity’s lifesaving work in the poorest countries.

If you fancy snapping up a bag by the likes of Christian Louboutin, Mulberry, Jimmy Choo, Miu Miu, Prada and many more – donated or designed by the lovely celeb ladies previously mentioned – make sure you join in on the online auction from tomorrow on www.savethechildren.org.uk/bagtosave.

Samantha Cameron has donated her Jimmy Choo bag, Sienna Miller a Miu Miu, Tilda Swinton has donated a bag from Chanel AND a bag from Victor & Rolf, while Gemma Arterton has donated a leather patent Prada bag.

If you want to take part in the auction, the starting price will be at around a quarter of the bags’ recommended retail price. You can also donate any unwanted bags you might have laying around at any of the Save the Children stores around the UK to be included into the auction.

The online auction will be live from Friday 25th November to Sunday 4th December 2011.

My my what a pretty Miu Miu (donated by Sienna Miller)

[via Hippyshopper.com]

The fashion houses have joined forces with Sting and Trudie Styler’s charity, Rainforest UK, and contributed goods to annual charity auction The 12 Days of Christmas.

A spokesperson from John Galliano told vogue.co.uk: “The Rainforest Foundation UK is globally respected for their innovative approaches in the protection of the rainforests and the rights of forest communities who call those forests home. We at the House of Galliano felt compelled and inspired by their ground-breaking work in remote forest areas, and their desire to care for some of the most beautiful places and peoples in the world. We are proud to be part of the 12 Days of Christmas auction, and are happy that chosen items from our collections can be won by people who realise that even something simple like going online for a few moments and bidding on a red carpet dress or a pair of shoes can help look after the environment.”

Other participating fashion brands include Mulberry, Piers Atkinson and James Long, while celebrities include Hugh Laurie and Judi Dench have also donated a range of personalised items.

The 29-year-old actress has decided to get rid of all of her “childish dresses” because she believes they are too “cute” and are no longer appropriate for her because she will turn 30 next April.

Kirsten explained to T Magazine: “I’m currently cleaning out my closet of childish dresses. I want to start dressing like I’m 30. Some of the things I have are like, I can’t wear this anymore, it’s not cute.”

While Kirsten doesn’t enjoy shopping because she is constantly besieged by fans, she confessed she does love dressing up for photo shoots.

She said: “I don’t shop for a long time. People bother you.

I like it when I do a photo shoot and it’s a fantasy of something. I knew the concept and I’m easy, you can dress me up.”

Kirsten admits to being more comfortable in vintage clothing and says the 1920s costumes she wore in ‘The Cat’s Meow’ when she played William Randolph Hearst’s actress-mistress Marion Davies were her ideal outfits.

She explained: “There was a white dress that I would have loved to have kept. People look better in black and white – it’s so much more powerful.”

Although I’ve always been a Primark Princess rather than a Designer Diva I just couldn’t get my head around the idea of wearing someone else’s cast offs.

However as I grew up and became poorer (a combination of the financial climate and moving away from home) I began to think that perhaps I was too quick to judge, and over the past few years I’ve become what I can only describe as a second hand shop addict.

My addiction first began with books. However, as the thrill of finding that perfect novel for under a £1 began to wear off, I started to wonder if I could get the same feeling with the many clothes these shops stock.

I admit I was a bit squeamish with the idea of wearing someone else’s cast offs but I reasoned that it’s not really that much different from borrowing a mates top or skirt. All you need to do is run them through the wash and they’re like new.

Yes, you have to search a little bit and sometimes excuse the smell, you know the one that sometimes hits you as you walk into these shops and reminds you of your great aunt Mabel, but once you’ve got past that the world of second hand clothing really does become a wonder.

I’ve found almost new Diesel jeans for a bargain £8 as well as a range of cute highstreet tops for a mere £2. And depending on where you are you can find a range of designer delights.

Rummaging around the Hampstead branch of Oxfam I found a pair of Earl Jeans for £20 and a Gucci bag for £90, not bad considering the prices charged for these items when they’re new, and let’s face it jeans always look that bit better when they’re worn in don’t they?

But although I lusted over some of the shoes donated to these shops, I couldn’t bring myself to buy any, no matter how cheap they were, until one day I spotted a gorgeous pair of vintage 50s courts. Like a second hand version of Becky Bloomwood I knew I had to have them.

I didn’t care if the previous owner, or the twenty before her had some kind of gruesome blisters or bunions, all I could think about were how good they would look with my original vintage dress (courtesy of a British Heart Foundation store). So I bit the bullet, bought some anti bacterial footspray and became a charity Cinderella.

I know many of you will have been shopping in these stores for a while, but for those who are still charity shop snobs I advise you to give it a go.

Yes I may be shooting myself in the foot here, afterall I don’t like to have second hand rivals, but I’ll make you a deal, if you donate your old clothes I’ll make an exception for that perfect jacket being swiped from under my nose.

And lets face it, you’ll also be helping a good cause, which is better than almost anything else, except maybe that unique designer coat that’s going for “just” a fiver.

Here are some of our favourite choices to be pretty in pink this October.

Pink lace top by Warehouse

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£30 with 10% donation to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Available from 1st October. Buy

The t-shirt will be sold in Asda stores throughout October and marks the campaign’s 15-year anniversary and will help raise money for the charities Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Campaign.

On taking part in the photoshoot for chairy Sophie said: “Breast cancer affects not just those who have been diagnosed with the disease, but also the family members of those who are suffering. Please contribute to this amazing cause and purchase the special edition products to raise the much needed funds for the charities to continue their hard work.”

Sophie looks really cute in the new photos!

Even though my flat is filled with reusable bags that I’ve accumulated over the years a girl can never have too many! And especially bags that help raise funds for charity.

Founder and chief creative officer of Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon OBE has created an exclusive bag for The Body Shop and ECPAT‘s global Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People (SST) campaign.

The bag is decorated with handprints from Nicole Kidman, Jamie Oliver, Mark Ronson, Mira Sorvino, Joanna Lumley and Piers Morgan and will be sold for a limited run in The Body Shop for £4.00.

Retailing at £4.00, profits from the sale of The STOP bag will be used to combat and raise awareness of sex trafficking of children and young people.

The bag is made from raw 100% community fair trade cotton and feature a fuschia trim and shoulder strap which is certain to brighten up those shopping trips in the winter months!

Tamara also recently declared that “innovation” is key to making Jimmy Choo successful and says she loves working on new projects, “Keeping innovation and energy flowing it key. I dreamed of creating the perfect luxury accessory house, one that captures the hearts of women around the world.

“Even now with everything that we have accomplished we are far from resting on our laurels, what excites me most is the thrill of the next project, the next idea.

“While I am enormously proud of our brand’s heritage, I know the best is yet to come.”

On the lower end of the scale we find the more pink obsessed celebrities Katie Price and Paris Hilton who are both known for their love for the candy coloured hue.

Other iconic characters most associated with the colour pink included Barbie, the Pink Ladies in Grease, Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

But where do you wear such a bright colour? According to the survey you wear it to charity events and hen/stag nights – not so sure about all the men in pink for stag nights but hey.

How many pink items are lurking in your wardrobe? I can count…3… I think….

Pretty in Pink: Jackie Kennedy, Katie Price and Paris Hilton:

 All images: Press Association

Vintage loving singer-songwriter Paloma Faith is collaborating with lingerie brand La Senza to design an exclusive range of vintage inspired lingerie and nightwear to help raise funds for Breast Cancer Care.

The designs include an emerald green playsuit (£30) and a halter-neck bra and French knickers set for £16. Paloma who is currently showing off her wonderfully playful sartorial flair at London Fashion Week has a distinct 1940’s style and is a style icon in the making.

The range hits stores from 1 October and will be available throughout Breast Cancer Awareness month with a donation from every sale will go to Breast Cancer Care.

We love!

Naomi may be a bona-fide diva but she’s certainly got a soft side, as she’s been working tirelessly for various charities for a while now, hosting a Fashion For Relief fundraiser after the earthquakes in Japan and raising huge amounts of money for AIDs relief and Haiti. She’s actually raised $7million in total – wow.

Denise Rich, who is the founder of the charity which will honour Naomi in New York next month, said about the supermodel: “She really is amazing woman and she does a lot for charity. She has her own charity. She raised a lot of money this summer for Haiti and for AIDS relief.”

The model certainly does know to fundraise in style, with her latest Fashion  For Relief party including performances from rapper queen Eve and Patti LaBelle, even encouraging Jane Fonda to take a turn showing her stuff on the catwalk. Who says fashion doesn’t care?

Congrats to you, Naomi, you completely deserve it.