On Thursday 28th November, Save the Children ambassador Erin O’Connor launched the Designer Christmas Jumper installation at The Village, Westfield London, W12. This year, Save the Children has taken its annual Christmas Jumper Day to a new fashion high with the support of the British Fashion Council to create bespoke designer jumpers to be auctioned – with a difference – in aid of Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 13th December.
Some of the world’s leading British designers including Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry, Anya Hindmarch, David Koma, Paul Smith, Giles Deacon, House of Holland, Jonathan Saunders, Matthew Williamson, Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou and Sibling have each customised a unique one off jumper for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day. The jumpers are on display exclusively at The Village, Westfield London in a stunning installation designed by international visual artist and curator Stuart Semple in collaboration with My Beautiful City from Thursday 28th November until the end of the year. Hollywood Monster have also kindly got on board to help polish off the installation with super graphics displaying Stuart's designs adorning the huge window at the entrance to The Village. The unique Christmas jumpers have been designed and hand-knitted by fashion brand Wool and the Gang and their British Gang of knitters here in the UK before being customised by each designer.
Festive fans and visitors to Westfield London, W12, will be able to bid for the jumpers from now until 30 December by simply paying £1.50 and texting the name of the designer and their minimum bid to 78484. This is an auction with a twist because the lowest unique bid wins, ensuring all fashion lovers can be in with a chance of winning a stunning one-off designer jumper. The auction will run for one month and the person with the lowest unique bid wins their chosen jumper.
On Christmas Jumper Day itself (Friday 13th December 2013), Save the Children is calling on people across the UK to help make the world better with a sweater and take part in the tradition of wearing a kitsch Christmas jumper in exchange for a £1 donation to raise money for its life saving work with children the world over.
All money raised from Christmas Jumper Day activities will help save the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children. In the world's poorest countries, more than 7 million children die every year from easily preventable causes like and malnutrition. Simple solutions, like vaccines and mosquito nets save lives – so by getting friends and colleagues to take part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper day on Friday 13th December and donating £1, or bidding for a designer jumper, you can help make a real difference.
“The overwhelming response from the designers pays tribute to the importance of the incredible work Save the Children is doing in some of the world’s most poverty-stricken countries. It’s a fantastic way to engage the public and we are delighted that our British fashion industry has come together to raise some serious money for this serious cause. We are urging everyone to make a bid and make a difference and look forward to seeing all the jumpers out in force on the 13th December.” - Caroline Rush, CEO British Fashion Council
Myf Ryan, Westfield’s Marketing Director UK & Europe said:
“The Village, Westfield London is the perfect setting to display this amazing collection of Christmas Jumpers designed by a stellar line up of internationally acclaimed designers for Save the Children. We are also very excited that Stuart Semple has leant his artistic talents to the stunning display which we know will be extremely popular with visitors to the centre as they bid to get their hands on their very own one off designer piece!”
Visual artist and curator Stuart Semple said:
"The Christmas Jumper project is amazing! There are so many incredible designers involved and the jumpers themselves are wonderful, I hope the project raises plenty of funds and awareness for Save the Children.”
For more information visit:
christmasjumperday.org/designerchristmasjumpers
Or follow:
www.facebook.com/ChristmasJumperDay
@savechildrenuk using hashtag
#xmasjumperday
Image Credit: Erin O'Connor