Gucci, Dior, Hermes Designer Christmas Trees. The 15th Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs.

On December 1st, 2010 the 15th anniversary of the association “Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs” was celebrated at L’Espace Vendôme. The event takes place each year in France where fashion designers, architects and artists create their versions of Christmas Trees to be auctioned off for charity.


above : Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (left) and Jean Paul Gaultier (right) with their Christmas Trees

"Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs”, initiated by Marie-Christiane Marek, uses the biggest names in fashion, design and architecture to create unique art representing Christmas trees to be sold at auction with proceeds benefiting a child-focused charity. This year, like last year, the proceeds will be donated to the Carla Bruni-Sarkozy foundation and allocated for L’enfant @ l’hôpital.




Here's a look at several of the designer Christmas trees from the 15th Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs, followed by a video of the event, both in French and English.

Gucci:


Louis Vuitton:


Chanel:

Marithé + François Girbaud Christmas Tree:

Gaultier  Christmas Tree:
 
Dior Christmas Tree:
 
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (made with tree branches):

Isabel Marant:

Guerlain:

India Mahdavi:

Ali Mahdavi:

H&M:



Rachid Khimoune:

Patrice Gardera:

Sonia Rykiel:

Maxime Simoes and Olivia Putman:

Repetto:
 
 Hermes:
 
Blind Adam ( Thanos Kyriakides):
 
Damien da Rocha:
 

The 26 participants included Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Ghion, Dsquared, Gucci, Hermès, H&M, India and Ali Mahdavi, Isabel Marant, Jakob+Macfarlane, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, Louis Vuitton, Marithé + François Girbaud, Maxime Simoens, Olivia Putman, Ora Ïto, Patrice Gardera, Rachid Khimoune, Repetto, Sonia Rykiel, Thanos Kyriakides-Blind Adam.



Le Sapins de Noel des Createurs

In french:

La 15ème édition des Sapins de Noël des Créateurs

With English Voiceover:


A 52 minute program of the event co-presented by Marie Christiane Marek and a renowned designer will air on TV5MONDE on December 26th, 2010.

The Charities
For eleven years Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs has been associated with the Fondation d’Auteuil pour la Maison d’Orly. The Fondation d’Auteuil’s mission is to prevent and protect children between the ages of 6 and 21 years old through teaching whilst taking into account the aptitudes of each child. Among other things, a gymnasium, a play ground and a locker room have all been made possible through this relationship.

2007 and 2008: Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs has been involved with Sol en Si (Solidarité enfants Sida), a charity that supports and accompanies children and their families affected by HIV/AIDS in France and Africa. Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs was able to help in the creation of a therapy centre in Togo thanks to the money raised from its auction.

In 2009, Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs donated the proceeds from its auction to the Fondation Carla Bruni-Sarkozy where it was allocated to the charity L’enfant @ l’hôpital. Founded in 1986, L’enfant @ l’hôpital seeks to help children in hospital in the continuation of their education by providing supplies and IT support. Over the past twenty years, over 100 pediatric services have been provided with this.
images courtesy of © Valérie Paillocher / Le Journal des Femmes, Wire images, Getty images, and France 2


See the trees from last year's event.

Annie Leibovitz Shoots A Spidey Fashion Editorial For Vogue

above: dancer and gymnast Emmanuel Brown, pictured here, is a stunt double.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz went behind the scenes of the new Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, directed by Julie Taymor with music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, to shoot this fashion editorial for Vogue's December issue.

CAPTIVE AUDIENCE


above: Mary Jane (Jennifer Damiano) falls into the clutches of the Green Goblin (Patrick Page). Will Spider-Man save the day?

fashions: Alexander McQueen red printed silk chiffon bustier dress. Shot on location at Foxwoods Theatre, NYC. Mask by Julie Taymor.

DAMSEL IN DISTRESS


above: Mary Jane fends off the multibladed Swiss Miss (Sean Samuels). “There are a lot of comic-book nerds out there who are in love with Mary Jane,” says Damiano. “I don’t want to let them down.”

fashions: Marchesa sculptured sapphire satin-faced organza ball gown. Mask by Julie Taymor.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST


above: The ill-intentioned Carnage (Collin Baja) goes after Mary Jane. Says Taymor: “I saw the inherent theatricality in it, and I couldn’t resist.”

fashions: Marchesa black-and-white hand-painted crinoline ball gown.

WEB OF DESIRE

above: Carney and Damiano as the star-crossed Peter and Mary Jane.

fashions: Dior Haute Couture red-and-violet hand-painted satin organza dress. On Carney, Billy Reid striped shirt and Marni pants.

Images shot on location at PRG Scenic Technologies, New Windsor, NY. In this story: hair, Kamo for Mod’s Hair; makeup, Gucci Westman for Revlon. Photography production design by Mary Howard. All costumes by Eiko Ishioka. Fashion Editor: Tonne Goodman.

above images and captions courtesy of Vogue.com



The story:
Drawing from over 40 years of Marvel comic books for inspiration, Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark spins a new take on the mythic tale of a young man propelled from a modest rowhouse in Queens to the sky-scraping spire of the Chrysler Building, the bustling offices of the Daily Bugle, through the dizzying canyons of Manhattan, to new vistas never before seen.The musical follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down— literally—when he’s bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek—suddenly endowed with astonishing powers—soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains test not only his physical strength but also his strength of character. (text from Broadway.com)

A behind the scenes glimpse at the musical:

Le Royale Monceau Hotel. Now Transformed By Philipe Starck.

After undergoing two full years of important renovation work, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris, which had closed down in June 2008, opened its doors in October of this year with a whole new look for the luxury hotel.






With new decor by Philipe Starck, only minutes from the arc de triomphe and a curated collection of art, it's no wonder it has quickly become THE place to stay.




Impelled by Qatari Diar and Alexandre Allard the creative director, designer Philippe Starck completely transformed the place and re-invented its spirit so as to make Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris the first hotel in a new generation of Parisian palaces.











The Royal Monceau Raffles Paris has produced a collection of over 300 works of art to be displayed in the guest rooms and the public areas. The project is to include contemporary art in the everyday life of the hotel, within a set of dedicated places like la Librairie des Arts, the Art District or Le Cinéma des Lumières.

The artistic program of the hotel is multidisciplinary, and accessible to everybody. The Royal Monceau Raffles Paris offers a cultural service through the art concierge and the hotel team.



The art concierge is in charge of coordinating this service unique in Paris, acting as an advisor and cultural mediator both to customers and the staff. The art concierge is there to guide the residents of the Royal Monceau Raffles Paris through their cultural journey in Paris, informing them of the artistic news and creating personalized activity programs.

For more information please contact: Domoina de Brantes / art concierge + 33 1 42 99 88 00

They have a blog dedicated to art as well, called Art For Breakfast.

Establishing itself for the first time in Europe, Raffles hotel group is in charge of the management of the hotel while Sylvain Ercoli was appointed managing director, after holding the same position in some of the most prestigious hotels in the world.


Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris
37 Avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris
T. +331 42 99 88 00
F. +331 42 99 89 90
E. paris@raffles.com

Gimme Power iPhone & iPod Chargers Extend A Hand To Charity

GIMME POWER has an un-wired past: originally conceived a remote control holder for the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point, California its new incarnation as a charging station for iPhones and iPods is the brainchild of Ana Piscuskas, daughter of York Street Studio principals, Linda Zelenko and Stephen Piscuskas. Ana recognized the hand's potential as a wired unit and her follow through brought the unit to life.




"Gimme Power" iPhone Charger


The sculpted ceramic hands hold, charge, and sync your iPhone® or iPod® while plugged into your computer. Dimensions: 5.25"W x 3"D x 7.75"T. USA.


Available in all white for $180.00 at Neiman Marcus


Or in a silver version (aluminum over ceramic) for $250 from York Street

The History of Gimme Power

Every year GIMME POWER will extend a helping hand to a designated charitable organization. In 2010 a percentage of the net sales from GIMME POWER will go to the McCarton Foundation.