The Little Black Dress Takes on Cancer
We’re a big fan of the little black dress, but Swarovski and 22 designers have teamed up to make it even more powerful. On September 20th, auction house Philips de Pury will offer 22 Swarovski crystal adorned black dresses, with all proceeds going to benefit the American Cancer Society and La Ligue Contre le Cancer in France.
The American Heart Association has been pretty successful in raising awareness for women’s heart health with their red dress campaign. The black dress is a fashion staple for most women, so hopefully we’ll see the effort at tying it to cancer awareness and research extend even further down the fashion chain. The 22 dresses up for auction are beyond beautiful, and with any luck, a high street (mass retail, if you’re not used to the British term) chain will take a cue from the high end and find a way to incorporate this into a future designer collaboration.
Participating designers and labels include Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Lanvin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexis Mabille, Missoni, Marios Schwab and Diane von Furstenberg among others. The full list is available at Swarovski elements, view a gallery of our 10 favorite dresses below.
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- 3.1 Phillip Lim black Swarovski crystal covered white dress, estimated price $3000-5000
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- Catherine Malandrino embroidered black dress with Swarovski crystal details, estimated price $2500-4500
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- Diane von Furstenberg black pleated silk wrap dress with Swarovski crystal sleeve and waist detailing, estimated price $2000-3500
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- Donna Karan long sleeved black dress with large black and clear Swarovski crystal detail, estimated price $8500-10,000
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- Gianfranco Ferre draped black dress with large side bow and iridescent Swarovski crystal detail, estimated price $4000-6000
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- Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci black cutout dress with allover Swarovski crystal detailing, estimated price $10,000-12,000
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- Lanvin by Alber Elbaz black dress with Swarovski crystal neckline, $3000-5000
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- Marios Schwab black sheath dress with Swarovski crystal adorned peplum, estimated price $1500-3500
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- Martin Grant degrade black and clear Swarovski crystal covered dress, estimated price $1500-3500
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- Vivienne Westwood black silk duchesse satin dress with gold Swarovski crystal shoulder and hip detail, estimated price $5000-7000
