Celebrities back Fit for a Princess eBay initiative

Over 30 dresses donated by celebrities are currently on auction on eBay to benefit the Princess Alice Hospice. Lucie Goulet writes.

Among the garments auctioned are a Max Azaria draped cream dress from Shilpa Shetty, an Alberta Ferretti sequined number from Helena Bonham-Carter, a George Chakra jacket from Dame Helen Mirren and a full-length black dress from Hobbs worn by Samantha Cameron.

As well as raising money, the project, named Fit for a Princess, hopes to educate the public about the key role of the Princess Alice Hospice. To that end, each auction page includes detailed information on the charity work and its funding. The Hospice provides specialist end of life and palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families, both at the Hospice and in their homes in South West London and Surrey.

Each garment will come with authentication, often in the form of signed photographs. Some celebrities further personalised their donation. According to Emma Chenery, the event organiser, “Joanna Lumley has written a delightful letter explaining where she wore the dress, and how when wearing the outfit Roger Moore and Daniel Craig kissed and hugged her. Lynda Bellingham sent a Gok Wan book following a specific request by the charity for the dress she wore on the Fashion Fix show on Channel 4”.

Prior to the start of online bidding, the dresses were exhibited at the Bentall Shopping Centre in Kingston.

Chenery hopes to raise £5000. A reserve has been put on each piece, meaning that they should at least sell for a total of £1700. The Hospice heavily relies on operations like Fit for a Princess. “Yearly costs are in excess of £7 million and 75% of funding must come from community donations and fundraising,” explains Chenery.

The auctions end at 8pm on October 29th.

Auction page

Princess Alice Hospice