Yooxgroup

For the 2009 holiday season, yoox.com is inspired by the classics - black and white cinema, treasured pieces that stand the test of time, and handmade gifts that celebrate years of artisan tradition. With creative inspiration at every turn, the classic-themed Black & White Xmas brings the best of fashion, home design, and exclusive products to Internet shoppers worldwide; this year with an exciting film presentation of its annual Gift Guide online starting from mid November.
Four short black & white films titled “Christmas Stories” will accompany each gift category, bringing to life the holiday spirit and the beauty of gift-giving and setting a cinematic tone for a Black & White Xmas. For the first time ever, it will be possible to buy from a black & white movie, picking the favorite gift directly from the video!
Exciting exclusives from around the world make yoox.com's holiday offerings an eclectic mix of gift ideas that focus on quality - always original and always from the heart.
The Gift Guide categories selected by yoox.com's editors offer a world of inspiration:
• Handmade: Handmade = quality, luxury, and love. The star of this category is a selection from the Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal collection, available for the first time online exclusively at yoox.com - making for an exciting and philanthropic gift: part of the proceeds from sales of the Artisanal pieces will benefit the “The Rosa Spier House” in Holland, a non-profit organization which offers housing to retired artists and academics who wish to continue working on their craft. An abundance of Made in Italy items perfect for gifting round out the Handmade category. Canfora sandals, handmade in Capri and worn by style legends like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Maria Callas will be available exclusively at yoox.com, as well as the limited edition hand-blown Christmas ornaments designed by Gumdesign Studio for the historical silver design firm De Vecchi. Also the innovative “B&W Nobody’s chair” in limited edition designed by Gaetano Pesce for Zerodisegno inspired by a black and white theme exclusive to yoox.com. Also available on yoox.com is a rare and precious selection of luxury hand-worked bijoux made of "tombolo" lace and crochet by the Flos ad Florem brand.

• Home Sweet Home: A blissful mix of domestic charms, featuring the famous candle holder “Tenochtitlan” designed by Vittorio Locatelli for Driade Kosmo, presented in white for the first time exclusively at yoox.com, as well as beautiful silk and cotton pajamas, cashmere jumpsuits and blankets for stylish lounging, plus an extensive selection of art, photo and design books - art pieces themselves, meant to display and delight.

• The Classics: Why continuously hunt for a “cool” gift when you can choose from a deluxe selection of beautiful classics and timeless gifts that will be treasured forever? Trends continually change; however, classic items never go out of fashion such as the legendary Moleskine. Especially for the holiday season, yoox.com presents for the first time in its history, a milk- white special limited edition of the notebook, a true collector’s item.

• Hard to find - There’s nothing like knowing you possess a one-of-a-kind item, and yoox.com presents an incredible array of unique gift pieces in this special section. A glittering selection of vintage costume jewellery from Coppola e Toppo and Kenneth Jay Lane from the private collection of jewelry expert Deanna Farneti Cera, as well as a mixed selection of vintage jewellery by Correani, Christian Lacroix and many others from around the world and contemporary collections by avant-garde contemporary designers such as Mouton Collet and Alex & Chloe.
With an eye toward appreciating simple luxuries and the finer things in life, yoox.com hopes to bring the joys of the holiday season to its visitors worldwide with their edited mix of gift selections. Of course, the mix of designer brands and lifestyle products that the site is known for will also be on hand for gift-giving, bringing the best of web shopping to the comfort of the home. Come home for the holidays with yoox.com!

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA Artisanal pieces debut online exclusively at yoox.com
To benefit the cause of Rosa Spier House

At the end of November 2009, a selection of pieces for Women and Men from the Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Collection will be available online for the first time, exclusively on yoox.com. Margiela Artisanal collectors all over the world will have the opportunity to own a piece from the exclusive and creatively charged Artisanal line. These rare pieces were previously available exclusively at selected Maison Martin Margiela shops around the globe. A portion of all proceeds of the sale will go to the Rosa Spier House in Holland, a non-profit organization which offers housing to retired artists and academics.

Since its founding in 1988, Maison Martin Margiela has presented its prêt-à-porter collections with accompanying garments, accessories and objets d’art under the name “Artisanal”. Born from the Maison’s creative and poetic appreciation of nuances and imperfections, the line draws its inspiration from the everyday. Maison Martin Margiela says: “our most important source of inspiration has always been the extremes and the changes of every day life”.

Celebrating the unrivaled originality and talent of the Belgian couturier, yoox.com will present a curated group from the exquisite craft lab experiment that is Artisanal. Like a virtual museum, a section on the website will be devoted to around 100 one-off pieces spanning collections from 2005 to 2009. Some of the pieces that will be available online were focal points of exhibitions showcasing the work of the designer, including the celebration of Margiela’s 20th anniversary with "Maison Martin Margiela 20“at MoMu Fashion Museum in Antwerp (2008) and in Munich (2009).

Among the outstanding pieces available on yoox.com:

• DISCO BALL TOP - Small mirror squares are assembled as a top. Realisation Time:45 hours.
• ELASTIC JACKET - A plaiting of elastic bands creates a jacket. Realisation Time: 29 hours
• WEDDING DRESS - A gown made with three vintage wedding dresses. Realisation Time: 37 hours
• WIGS JACKET – Brown wigs used to create a fur jacket. Realisation Time: 51 hours
• VINTAGE HAND PAINTED OIL CANVASES AS A DRESS - Three vintage painted oil canvases of varying subjects and periods, softened and coated in plastic form a dress. Realisation Time: 35 hours
• RECORD DRESS - A crepe de chine dress decorated with 33 and 45 rpm records. Realisation Time: 33 hours
• TINSEL AS FUR - Tinsel used as fur to create a coat or a jacket. Realisation Time: 31 hours

Each garment is reworked entirely by hand at the Maison’s atelier in Paris. The complexity of each step of the creative process of transformation naturally limits the quantity of garments produced, and the unique materials used ensure that each finished item is completely individual. The label, numbered 0, is embossed or stamped depending on the material used to create the garment or accessory.

The belief that these garments and objects may be given a second life, while respecting and maintaining the evidence of the passage of time and use remains one of the keystones of the Maison’s creative expression—-an idea that resonates soundly within yoox.com’s concept of fashion and style, having idealized the timelessness of fashion and its ability to reference the past to inspire the future.

With this project yoox.com supports Rosa Spier House, a residence which aims to create an appropriate setting for retired musicians, artists and academics, enabling them to practice their craft and to grow old peacefully. Opened in 1969, the so-called “heaven for artists” was the brainchild of the late harpist Rosa Spier and financed by her wealthy art-loving friend Henriette Polak. Believing that old age does not stop art, the women dreamed of a place where visual and performing artists could keep creating unhindered, even in their final years — artist MC Escher, famous for his woodcuts and lithographs, lived out his final days at the Rosa Spier House. An oasis surrounded by greenery and gardens complete with studios and music rooms where residents can continue their work, Rosa Spier House also offers a full program of concerts, exhibitions and lectures organised to engage and inspire those who live there. Future projects there include the construction of a new building to offer more living space and to create a center of cultural exchange between the artists that reside there and the outside world.

YOOX.COM GOES MOBILE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON GIFT HUNT
with the new iPhone app "YOOX.COM Style Gift Guide"

Just in time for the holiday season gift rush, yoox.com announces the launch of a new iPhone app, an interactive mobile shopping application available for free via Apple's App Store. The new application for iPhone and iPod touch, "YOOX.COM Style Gift Guide", was developed in-house by YOOX Group's Technology team and offers consumers the chance to explore yoox.com's selection of fashion & design gifts anytime, anywhere, and ship gifts to friends and family worldwide. This is the second foray for yoox.com into the world of mobile e-commerce, after the successful launch of yoox.com web fashion shopping application for iPhone and Android in April.

The "YOOX.COM Style Gift Guide" App will present the user with a special interactive questionnaire that will accompany them through the yoox.com shopping experience. The results will help the user explore the yoox.com annual gift guide items hand-picked just for them, featuring the best of fashion, home design and exclusive products, all organized by different themes. Questions which appear include: Where would you like to ship your gift - Spain, United States, Russia or Japan? What type of item are you looking for - Handmade or Classic? What is your budget? In just a few steps and thanks to a cover-flow interface, the items will be displayed with a 3D-effect, allowing users to make the perfect choice for their Christmas gifts.

A few quick clicks make it easy to have the perfect gift delivered anywhere in the world. Now last minute gifts can be sent with a few easy taps directly from the airport, holiday vacation, or simply street-side. Now holiday shopping is fun, fast and as easy as a call with a friend.

From mid November, the free app also gives iPhone/iPod touch users the opportunity to discover and buy exclusive special editions available only on yoox.com for the holidays. Included in this exclusive category, available online for the first time, are Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal one-off pieces, and a mix of carefully selected, high quality products by the prominent Italian design brands, like the "Tenochtitlan" candelabra designed by Vittorio Locatelli for Driade Kosmo, presented in white for the first time exclusively at yoox.com, the only website offering the possibility of buying design products via mobile. Perfectly marrying the past with the future, users can also shop valuable vintage pieces such as hard to find costume jewelry from Coppola e Toppo, Kenneth Jay Lane, Monet, Trifari and Napier.

After downloading, yoox.com holiday shoppers have an all-access pass to:
• Easily browse, search and shop desired items by brands or category
• Use the innovative GIFT GUIDE function to quickly find and send a present to friends and family worldwide
• Pinch to zoom in on images or choose the Cover Flow view to visually and easily flip through your items
• Save favorite items for future browsing or purchase
• Share choices with friends and send them gift hints

This new application will revolutionize holiday shopping habits by giving you a quicker, more playful and interactive gifting experience. A touch of yoox.com in the palm of your hand -a gift for everyone! 

YOOX.COM CELEBRATES AMERICAN GLAMOUR
PARTNERS WITH FIT ON EXHIBITION AND LAUNCHES AMERICAN VINTAGE SALE IN NOVEMBER

In an unprecedented collaboration, yoox.com and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) announce the dual launch of "American Glamour," a YOOX Vintage event online, and American Beauty: Aesthetics & Innovation, the much-anticipated exhibition at The Museum at FIT - both making their debut November 6th. For the first time, a distinguished educational institution and a leading online retailer join forces to broaden their reach and enhance the experience they offer their audiences. The FIT exhibition American Beauty will showcase vintage couture masterpieces from legendary American designers, augmented by video interviews and multi media content provided by yoox.com. "American Glamour" sale will feature examples of great American fashion by many of the same designers, with commentary by Patricia Mears, curator of American Beauty, and additional content. This combination of shopping and connoisseurship will create a unique experience.

Both the exhibition and the sale challenge the widely held notion that America's contribution to international fashion is limited to the invention of sportswear and the rise of mass marketing. Both events highlight creative engineering and design artistry, introducing visitors to the timeless appeal of a particularly American tradition spanning the past century. FIT's American Beauty displays approximately 75 garments or ensembles by some 20 designers; yoox.com's "American Glamour" brings together more than 50 pieces by 15 designers. Among those featured in either or both: Charles James, Charles Kleibacker, Bonnie Cashin, Halston (including a dress made for Martha Graham in yoox.com's sale), Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, James Galanos, and Norman Norell, in addition to contemporary innovators such as Ralph Rucci, Isabel Toledo, Yeohlee Teng, Maria Cornejo, and the Mulleavy sisters who work under the Rodarte label.

For collectors and scholars looking to acquire some astonishing new treasures, for vintage lovers looking to learn more about the treasures they acquire, these tandem events provide a rare opportunity. As FIT's exclusive online partner, yoox.com will offer an unique online experience rich in exclusive video-interviews with selected designers included in the exhibition, leading industry experts, FIT alumni and also the video-contribute of the curator Patricia Mears that will unveil details and secrets about the exhibition as well as archive images, drawings and interesting additional material describing the most outstanding pieces of American Beauty. The variety of special contents will be accessible at yoox.com, as well as in the museum's galleries. Designers working today will discuss the inspiration they find in the work of prior generations. American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation, a book by Patricia Mears to be published by Yale University Press, will be available for sale on yoox.com.

"American Glamour" and American Beauty arrive at the perfect time," says Holly Brubach, Creative Consultant for YOOX Vintage projects, "when fashion buyers are turning to vintage for uniqueness and value, and the audience for vintage is eager for information, growing more and more sophisticated. In difficult times that demand a new way of thinking, yoox.com is delighted to break new ground with this innovative partnership by creating a bridge between a non-profit institution and the world of online retail. The result is a wonderful exchange, with yoox.com providing its web expertise to help bring American Beauty to the attention of a worldwide audience, and FIT reciprocating by lending us its scholarship and insight."

"American Beauty is both an important and timely exhibition, combining aesthetic issues with popular appeal," says Dr. Valerie Steele, Director of the Museum at FIT. "Patricia Mears' book to accompany the exhibition, a symposium to be held at FIT, and our partnership with yoox.com help to fulfill the museum's mission of advancing knowledge of fashion."

“THE BOW COLLECTION”
ALBINO D’AMATO TO DESIGN EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION FOR YOOX.COM

After the last edition in 2008 with Hussein Chalayan, The Wild Bunch project returns to yoox.com at the beginning of October 2009, featuring an exclusive collection created by rising Italian design star Albino D’Amato. The first collaboration between the website and an Italian designer, the limited-edition line entitled “The Bow Collection” will be available exclusively at yoox.com.

An emblem of romanticism but also of irony, the muse of the capsule collection designed by Albino is the bow, interpreted in various dimensions, shapes and materials: as a whimsical decoration when appliqué onto a coat’s collar; or enlarged to bigger proportions at the waist of a duchesse silk gown; or strong and structured in ribbon on the surface of a clutch in patent, satin or “cavallino”. Executed in crystals as a hair adornment, or demurely punctuating towering stiletto heels, it is obvious that the versatile femininity of this classic style marker has provided abundant inspiration to Albino.

“The idea of being able to make a niche brand like mine accessible to a vast audience with just a simple click is a courageous challenge and fun at the same time” – declares Albino D’Amato.

The collection mixes elegance and sophisticated sartorial lines with playfulness and whimsy, offering an entry point to shoppers of all tastes. Each piece is produced by highly skilled artisans in Italy, celebrating the exclusive quality signified by the "Made in Italy" label.

Adding to the excitement of this project is an accompanying music track by the Liverpool based electro-pop group Ladytron, who will offer yoox.com viewers an exclusive unedited remix of their single Tomorrow, produced by the famous Berlin’s DJ Apparat. This added musical element brings Ladytron, (who have worn Albino's designs in several of their music videos) and Albino together again-- the group previously curated the sound design of the designer's Spring show in February. The spirit of recognizing the synergies among creative worlds is a yoox.com signature-- mixing music with fashion brings the entire experience to a new height of inspiration, offering visitors something impossible to find anywhere else.

The Wild Bunch project was developed by yoox.com to support talented new designers looking to expand their reach on an international level - previous collaborations include collections designed by Hussein Chalayan, Bernhard Willhelm, and Jeremy Scott.

A selection of looks from the Spring/Summer 2010 collection exclusively on yoox.com

In line with its continuous dedication towards scouting young fashion talents and promoting the Made in Italy, yoox.com, after last year's success, confirms its partnership with the "Who Is On Next?" competition created and carried out by Alta Roma in collaboration with Vogue Italy. From the 2009 finalists, yoox.com chose Leitmotiv as the best cutting-edge designers offering them the possibility of selling a preview of their Spring/Summer 2010 collection exclusively online simultaneously with the presentation of "Who is On Next?" on the 25th of September at FieraMilanoCity during Milan Fashion Week. The stile and the talent of the two cutting-edge designers will be protagonists in an innovative interactive shopping experience.

Continually dedicated to the research of new ways to present fashion on the Internet, yoox.com has created a technological interface that allows shoppers to purchase items directly from the fashion show video. Leitmotiv's S/S 2010 collection "READYMADE" is presented online on yoox.com, not just through a simple fashion show video but through a fun and diverse variant: the body of the model is broken down into diverse videos and enclosed by picture-frames in typical retro style. Each video demonstrates the items from the collection which follow the movements of the body from the printed floral dress, to the vibrant coloured shirt and the sought after prints, to the leggings in black and white print or the canvas skirt with seashell print. An innovative mix of matching and inspirations, the collection is an interesting combination between art and fashion, which falls perfectly in line with the philosophy of Leitmotiv. With a simple click on the video, the item worn becomes visible in all its minute detail and ready to be purchased and delivered worldwide in record time.

Leitmotiv's two stylists are: Juan Caro born and raised in Colombia, who subsequently transferred to Europe to study art (first Paris and then the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna) and Fabio Sasso from Milan who transferred to Bologna to continue his studies at Dams and to cultivate his passion for sartorial, a craft handed down by his family. From the duos collections, the most distinctive items are the prints and for the S/S 2010 collections the pair were inspired by the American artist Joseph Cornell: each piece is seen as a micro-world, lived and remembered, which brings to mind the famous boxes of the surreal artist: a combination of the memory and the associative imagination.

yoox.com announces Collaboration with
Leading Jewelry Collector Deanna Farneti Cera

World-renowned jewelry collector and historian Deanna Farneti Cera has selected the leading virtual boutique yoox.com as her exclusive partner in deaccessioning items from her vast collection of vintage costume jewellery, with a series of themed sales, beginning in mid July. 

The author of multiple authoritative books on vintage and costume jewellery including "The Jewels of Miriam Haskell," "Bijoux Made in Italy," and "Jewels of Fantasy: Costume Jewelry of the 20th Century," Deanna Farneti Cera is highly esteemed as an expert and a driving force in the field of vintage costume jewellery, instrumental in acquiring and documenting the work of little-known designers and consolidating their place in history.  Dealing directly with the designers, their descendants and their factories, she has amassed thousands of items over the past 30 years, many of them one-of-a-kind prototypes never put into production and unique samples made for the runway.  

The first sale, making its debut in Mid July, will focus on "Revisiting the 80's" and will include approximately 20 pieces from Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent, Ugo Correani for Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld and others. Many of the pieces are prototypes, and all have been selected for their iconic appeal, historical significance, quality and relevance to current fashion trends.

"Revisiting the 80's" highlights include:

1.) Karl Lagerfeld by Ugo Correani ruffle cuff made of plexiglass and black metal and painted to resemble lace
2.) Christian Lacroix heart earrings, cast gilded metal with red velvet and simulated pearl
3.) Yves Saint Laurent dangling earrings with rectangular wood drops
4.) Chantal Thomas dangling earrings in the 3-dimensional shape of a bustier, made of silver plated metal
5.) Première Etage dangling long earrings made of lightweight gilded metal and chain

In addition to this 80s revival, all themed sales have been conceived and curated  by Deanna Farneti Cera in collaboration with vintage expert and YOOX Vintage curator Holly Brubach. "A sale like this is a testament to the collector's knowledge, taste, and choices, and it allows me to re-distribute the same pleasure that I found in bringing these items together" Deanna Farneti Cera says.

"These extraordinary items, most of them never before available for sale, constitute an unprecedented opportunity for vintage collectors looking to acquire the extremely rare and for avid shoppers looking to fall in love with jewellery that will reinvigorate their wardrobes," says Holly Brubach.  We're honoured and delighted that Deanna Farneti Cera has chosen yoox.com vintage section as the exclusive venue for deaccessioning these precious examples of the greatest costume-jewellery designers' work, and we're planning a calendar of future sales together that promise to be every bit as historic and exciting." 

Deanna's sale follows that of yoox.com's newly implemented annual holiday vintage jewelry sale, which due to its success, will be repeated annually at the end of each year. Last year's holiday sale solidified yoox.com's place as a leader in the world of e-commerce accessories and as a result, yoox decided to keep the dedicated area as a permanent fixture. Now, special projects that highlight unique timeless pieces and celebrate the history of jewelry will be added to the site on an ongoing basis.

yoox.com reveals the vibrant past of storied Italian fashion house Emilio Pucci in a selection of vintage clothes and accessories to be sold exclusively online in June. Launching in tandem with the YOOX Vintage event is a new service that allows customers to navigate and buy items on yoox.com with their iPhones. Uniting ultra modern technology with beautiful vintage clothes and accessories by Emilio Pucci, yoox.com is the first to enable customers to acquire valuable vintage pieces via cell phone. This breakthrough service, soon available on other aspects of yoox.com, represents yoox.com's longstanding commitment to marrying the past with the future.

Carefully selected by yoox.com's vintage experts, the Emilio Pucci items compose a contemporary homage to one of fashion's most influential brands and most fascinating designers.

The extensive selection represents Emilio Pucci's philosophy, a specifically Italian brand of joie de vivre that over the years has become timeless, classic fashion. Many of the items reveal Emilio Pucci's flair as a designer, showcasing his celebrated prints and color, his revolutionary formfitting silhouettes and fabrics. Culled from private sources in Europe and America, as well as internationally renowned vintage dealers, the pieces attest to Emilio Pucci's skill for transcending seasonal trends.

Headlining the impressive vintage sale are the house's idiosyncratic, trademark prints, splashed over dresses, scarves, pants and tops. Mixed into the offer is plenty of clean-lined, elegant resort wear in solid colors and simple stripes for the print shy.

Among the outstanding pieces available on yoox.com:

• A playful, pretty haute couture mini silk chiffon strapless dress from the 60s with a swirling summery print in violet, blue, green and azure, that reveals a shorts jumpsuit underneath. Delicate, elaborate tone-on-tone crystal and pearl beading is embroidered on the hem of the shorts and the bustier of the dress.
• A commemorative scarf from the 60s printed with an oversized aeronautical design in blue, pink and yellow.
• A vivid geometric printed beach cover-up from the 60s, a terry cloth dress in tones of pink, violet and gray, that closes with a full-length zip.
• A silk mini dress printed with "ceramics" motifs in tones of violet, fucsia and green, 1959
• A cotton print bikini top and boy shorts in a vibrant yellow, white and orange print, 1960s, acquired from Los Angeles vintage expert Cameron Silver, a pioneering force in the ongoing Pucci revival 
• "Slave" bracelet (to be worn on upper arm or ankle), unsigned prototype by Coppola e Toppo for Emilio Pucci, red crystal beads, circa 1965, from the collection of Deanna Farneti Cera, renowned costume jewelry author and expert.

A dashing Florentine aristocrat, Emilio Pucci first gained recognition in 1947 for his brightly colored skiwear photographed by Harper's Bazaar. His designs revolutionized fashion and fostered a new style of dressing based on freedom of movement and practicality.

The Emilio Pucci brand is famed for its iconic prints. Kaleidoscopic, punchy, vibrant and dreamy, they are inspired by the beauty of Italy and beyond: Sicilian mosaics, the regal banners of Siena's Palio horse race, the wavy and graphic Vivara design that recalled an airplane's view of an island of the same name in the Gulf of Naples.

Shapes by the fashion house modernized fashion's silhouette and continue to define jetset glamour.
Emilio Pucci garnered many followers, including some of the world's most fascinating women: Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Lauren Bacall.

All the items included in yoox.com's tribute to Emilio Pucci date from the years prior to his death, in 1992.  Since then the LVMH Group relaunched the Emilio Pucci brand under the direction of his daughter, Laudomia. 

Holly Brubach, curator of this project, spoke with Laudomia Pucci during the planning.  "Vintage Pucci has been a phenomen from my early years in my father's company," Laudomia said. "It was in 1989 that suddenly a young crowd of fashionistas would be seen at fashion shows in Paris, New York and Milano wearing a Pucci scarf or dress or leggings in our unique prints. Soon Paloma Picasso, Isabella Rossellini, Madonna and others picked up on the trend, and Pucci vintage become a must.  Personally, I still can't resist the temptation...and buy!"

A passport holder for OrphanAid Africa

Valextra and Margherita Maccapani Missoni have collaborated to design and launch a personalized passport holder in support of OrphanAid Africa. This is part of a project that she started last year with the idea of collaborating with  the fashion industry to help raise funds for the non-profit organization that  has the mission to help orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana, West Africa, and reaches over 65,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries each month.

"I am thrilled to be working on this project with Valextra" says Margherita. "After meeting Lisa Lovatt-Smith and travelling to Africa 6 years ago, OrphanAid has been a charity very near to my heart and I am happy to do anything I can to raise awareness for the cause"

The passport holder, a gift idea for travellers, will be launched internationally in May 2009 and available online via an exclusive agreement with yoox.com and around the world at Harrods, Andreas Murkudis, 10 Corso Como, and Barneys NY. Part of the revenues will be given to the charity.
The Valextra passport holder is signed on the back with the OrphanAid Africa logo and is available in two versions.  A feminine one in parchment white with the emblem of Africa in lezàrd green and another in classic havana with the contrasting continent of Africa in a deep forest green giving a more masculine appeal.
The object respects in every detail the philosophy of the company that conjugates purity in design and refined craftsmanship, perfection of silhouettes and precision to detail.                       

OrphanAid Africa is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. Its aim is to support orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana through programs in care reform, education, and development.  Their  goal is to ensure that children grow up in safe and permanent family settings with appropriate care and protection.
OrphanAid Africa promotes the rights of children and families by: Giving cash transfers, educational and health support to OVC (orphans and vulnerable children) and their families, creating an enabling environment for de-institutionalization, ensuring that tracing and reunification are the first priority for children in institutional care, and creating awareness about the dangers of institutional care for children and the advantages of family-based care.

yoox.com launches an eco-friendly project touching fashion, design, jewelry and music

yoox.com will celebrate Earth Day, 22 April 2009, by launching its new and permanent eco-friendly initiative: YOOXYGEN.

Starting from mid-April, yoox.com will take its first step towards a multi-tiered eco-sustainable strategy that will be enhanced and developed as an ongoing company policy for the future. Planned for its launch is a new area on yoox.com featuring ethically conscious products and plans to offset the carbon footprint of shipping and courier services.

The YOOXYGEN initiative partners with Green Cross International, an environmental non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev. The Green Cross network, active in 31 countries, works to promote actions that can ensure a just, sustainable and secure future for humanity. YOOXYGEN will feature highlights from Green Cross programs engaged in current challenges such as climate change, water security and life-styles that live in harmony with nature.
 
Spearheading the YOOXYGEN initiative is a new dedicated area on yoox.com devoted entirely to ethically conscious products including fashion, design, jewelry, books and music. This eco-friendly gallery will also showcase several designers who will collaborate to offer customers limited-edition items.

Carmina Campus by Ilaria Venturini Fendi creates accessories, jewelry and design pieces using recycled materials. Exclusively for the YOOXYGEN initiative, she has designed the Venetian Bag, a series of one-of-a-kind clutch bags in magnificent colors assembled using aluminum slats that were once part of a panel of a venetian blind. In red, white, green, blue and many other fabulous colours, these slats are stitched together to make the bags' frames, which have lacquered, raw-cut edges and a long, thin strap. Each clutch has a different finishing: the interior is made from different types of coloured vintage fabric. Every Carmina Campus bag is unique, hand-made by Italian artisans, numbered and accompanied with a tag detailing the materials used to make the piece.

Katharine Hamnett is also embracing the project with her ethically produced organic cotton slogan t-shirts, including famous re-issues from her 80s fashion collection. The English designer's label is mapped under an ethical business philosophy that's aware of social and environmental issues.

Hard-to-find Brazilian contemporary jewelry line Caboclo will unveil exclusively online on yoox.com its unique designs handmade by native craftsman from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest who gather natural objects from the rainforest's floors and fashion them into unique jewelry pieces using leather, bones, stones and mother-of-pearl.

Alongside these labels are some of the most celebrated names in fashion that have long followed eco-fashion and other eco-friendly labels that have historically collaborated with yoox.com. Products which will be present in the new area dedicated to eco-sustainability include the original vegan-friendly accessories by Stella McCartney, Camper's shoe line made from coco fiber and jute and also Levi's jeans in organic cotton and recycled denim materials. In addition, yoox.com continues to offer a hand-picked selection of premium vintage clothing and accessories as the ultimate exercise in fashion recycling.  Vintage rescues the fashions of the past from the landfill and gives them a new life.
Headlining the site's design segment is the multiple award winner Italian design firm Pandora Design, which focuses part of its production in biodegradable tableware objects. Pandora Design is exposed and sold at MoMa in New York as well as in other prestigious museums in the world. Pandora Design won the important "Compasso d'oro" prize, the most coveted recognition of Italian design for over fifty years for its mini fork. Exclusively for the YOOXYGEN initiative, Pandora Design has created APERITIVO BIO, a fun eco-sustainable limited-edition aperitivo kit entirely made from Mater-Bi, a polymer obtained from corn that is 100% biodegradable. Perfect for any eco-party!
In addition, yoox.com presents, for the first time and exclusively for YOOXYGEN, a multimedia essay produced by Magnum in Motion, a multimedia and digital project from the celebrity photographic agency Magnum Photos dedicated to the creation of true and real visual narratives that portrays reality through the use of images, videos, sounds and graphics. "ELEMENTS by Magnum" is an online photographic essay that presents a point of view of the world's nature through the intense activities of the legendary photographers of the Magnum agency.
Rounding out yoox.com's green offer is an eco-sustainability books selection from prestigious publishers Phaidon, Steidl and Thames & Hudson. Among the sustainable-focused titles are: "Eco-Chic: The Fashion Paradox" and "The Eco-Travel Handbook" featuring destinations, products and transport choices to answer eco-travelers needs.

In the next months, YOOXYGEN will be enriched with a lot of other surprises and news, collaborations with other brands and special projects, stay tuned to discover them.

Backing up yoox.com's eco-conscious commitment to the future is a plan to offset 100% of its shipping carbon footprint. In collaboration with AzzeroCO2, yoox.com is offsetting 100% of the carbon dioxide produced by outsourced shipping to customers in clean energy and reforestation.
"YOOX turns into ECO-mmerce!" declares Federico Marchetti, founder and CEO of YOOX Group.

The YOOX Group has started to practice in-house green policies, promoting the idea of sustainable development to its employees including: everyday on-the-job procedures such as the separation of waste and recycling; paperless as much as possible; energy and resources saving; employee car share program; a new fleet of company cars composed by hybrid cars. Another sustainable business practice is adopting renewable energy for YOOX Group's new Milan-based office. Lifegate, a platform, network and advisor for sustainable development powers the renewable energy. YOOX Group, moreover, is working towards the achievement of the environmental cert ISO 14001, a certificate which proves the compliance of environmental management system.

YOOX.COM BETS ON SPANISH FASHION

AND CREATES AN ONLINE INTERACTIVE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
DIRECTLY FROM ANA LOCKING'S FASHION SHOW

Once again yoox.com is developing and experimenting with a new and original way of presenting fashion on the Internet. yoox.com presents an exclusive interactive shopping experience, a technological interface that allows shopping by directly interacting with a fashion show video and which will be presented for the first time in Spain.

For this initiative, yoox.com has decided to support Spanish fashion in collaboration with Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week, and has chosen the avant-garde and the several time winner of prestigious fashion prizes in Spain, Ana Locking. A selection of iconic pieces from her new Autumn/Winter'09-10 collection, characterized by flounces, unstructured volumes, fabric superposition and the usage of black, her fetish color, will be available exclusively on yoox.com, just a few hours after the show on February 22nd during Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week.

Thanks to yoox.com's expertise in fashion e-tailing and research of innovation, the project will bring fashion from the runway directly to the consumer in record time. With just a simple click on the video, the outfits seen on the catwalk will appear in all their minute details giving consumers the opportunity to be the first to buy the collection, which will be ready to be delivered worldwide within a few days.

"One of the biggest challenges for a designer is to reach the maximum amount of people as possible, without loosing the essence of the brand. yoox.com offers designers this opportunity, while also giving the public the chance to receive exclusive items 6 months before they go into distribution. What more can we ask for!", declares Ana González, creative director of Ana Locking.

Since its founding, yoox.com has supported emerging and talented fashion designers, offering them the unique opportunity to present their line to the world reaching an international audience of over 5 million people in 53 different countries. Federico Marchetti, founder and CEO of YOOX Group declares "We are very happy to collaborate with Ana Locking, This innovative project will be the first of a series of initiatives, which yoox.com will continue to develop in the future providing a springboard for Spanish designers internationally."

As the web is increasingly becoming a fundamental component for fashion, yoox.com as a retail channel and a form of communication, is honored to be the first online partner for Cibeles Madrid Spanish Fashion Week.