The world remains inspired by eternal fashion icon Audrey Hepburn. Buyers can sample her legendary style at an upcoming sale that includes 36 items of clothing on offer dating from 1953 to the late 60s as well as hats, belts and accessories. Kerry Taylor Auctions will be holding the sale on December 8 in London.

In 1951, Audrey left Europe for the USA to star in the Broadway production of 'Gigi'. She sorted through her unwanted clothes and passed on the things she no longer needed to her close friend Tanja Star-Busmann. Over time this became a tradition for the stylish star who always travelled with many suitcases full of fabulous fashions. The auction also includes a group of letters in which she describes an early film break, her proposed wedding to James Hanson and the time she spent filming "Roman Holiday".

Items up for bid include a Givenchy-designed black cloqué silk gown for Audrey to wear for the film 'Paris When it Sizzles' in 1962 (£10-15,000) and a Chantilly lace cocktail gown which she wore in the 'How to Steal a Million' in 1966 (£15-20,000). Also up for sale is the ivory satin bridal gown designed for Audrey Hepburn by the Fontana Sisters for her planned marriage to James (later Lord) Hanson. In 1952, while filming `Roman Holiday' with Gregory Peck in Rome, Hepburn approached the Fontana sisters to ask them to make her bridal gown. Weeks later when Audrey called off the wedding she requested that the dress be given away to "perhaps someone who couldn't ever afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find." The dress was given to a young Italian girl named Amabile Altobella. The dress will be sold with a photograph of Audrey wearing the original Fontana gown and a letter from the vendor confirming the provenance. It is estimated to fetch £8000-12000.

50 percent of the sale proceeds of lots will be donated go to The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund. Highlights from the sale will be show at Sotheby's New York, November 21-22 and at Sotheby's Paris, December 1-2.

[via Art Daily]

There are few automobiles we could truly consider works of art. And most of them are expensive. Bentley surely ranks among them, but the British luxury automaker has taken things one step further.

In a new project, Bentley invited its designers to create works of art inspired by their work. No fewer than 22 participated, working in every medium from photography and painting to sculpture. The results are truly intriguing, and will be auctioned off on December 1 in a charity auction held by Bonhams to benefit cancer research at Manchester's The Christie Hospital. The event is by invitation only, but you can view the pieces in the gallery below.

Bvlgari's work with Save the Children takes center stage at Christie's New York during a special auction to benefit the Rewrite the Future campaign. The campaign has a mission of providing quality education for 8 million children living in conflict-affected areas. To celebrate their 125 year anniversary, Bvlgari will auction an extraordinary collection of 11 one-of- a-kind jewelry creations and 7 limited edition timepieces. The jewels' overall value is estimated at around $4 million and all proceeds will be donated the campaign.

The collection was officially presented to the public on May 20, 2009 at a private celebration inaugurating Bulgari's first-ever retrospective museum exhibition at the prestigious Il Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. From June until November 2009 the collection will tour the world's greatest cities, where they will be presented at a series of high-profile events. The international tour will culminate with the New York auction in December when the pieces will be sold at Christie's.

You can also still participate in this important campaign by buying the Bvlgari Save the Children ring which is on sale until the end of the year.

Diehard enthusiasts and collectors of famed Italian watch brand Panerai, known as the Paneristi, came together recently to raise money for those less fortunate. The global members of enthusiast site Paneristi.com celebrated the online forum's 10th anniversary with an event at artist and Panerai collector Eng Tay's Tribeca studio. Tay (above) created a special series of images showing an outstanding collection of vintage and classic Panerai timepieces along with his artwork for a calendar celebrating Paneristi.com's 10th anniversary. All profits from the limited edition $300 calendar are being donated to The Mulliganeers, a children's charity created by Paneristi.com moderator and founder Paddy Conway. Most copies of the collector's item sold out within two weeks but there a few left; you can contact Paddy@CotswoldGardens.com for info. on ordering.

On November 17 in London Sotheby's and Louis Vuitton will co-host a gala charity auction of six limited-edition Special Orders Vuitton pieces to benefit the Red Cross and commemorate the organization's 150th anniversary. Since its creation in 1854, Vuitton's Special Orders department has made bespoke creations (see Karl Lagerfeld's here) to suit the whims of customers willing to pay for the perfect carrying case to suit their whims. For the Red Cross benefit sale, Vuitton created custom pieces for Damien Hirst (a butterfly armoire), chef Ferran Adrià (trolley case with knife tray), photographer Annie Leibovitz (camera bags), musician and composer Gustavo Santaolalla (instrument case), Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs (dog carrier) and Patrick Louis Vuitton (alligator tool kit), the head of Vuitton's Special Orders department and a member of the fifth generation of the Vuitton family. Each piece was designed by Patrick-Louis Vuitton in collaboration with the celebrity, along with a special Red Cross medical kit trunk (above) with boxes for emergency supplies.

Hello Kitty is one of those unique brands that never seems to go out of style and manages to appeal just as much to 3 year olds and 13 year olds as it does to the 30 year old set. One way it stays hip and popular is pairing cute with sophistication, a combination that seems irresistible to fans. To celebrate the brand's 35th birthday this year Sanrio is putting out something for everyone; the young, the young at heart and those who view Hello Kitty as art.

For those in the teen or tween set there is the sparkly Hello Kitty music player. This electronic gadget is decorated with 300 Swarovski crystal elements and shaped in the traditional Hello Kitty face. A second option is the Limited Edition pendant set. Again this is a collaboration between the D. Swarovski Co. of Wattens, Austria and features five crystal studded pendants each accented with a different color to match your mood or your outfit. Although at a price of $6,000 for the set I'm not sure that this jewelry collection isn't more appropriate for some of the slightly more mature Hello Kitty fans.

Another collaboration launched to celebrate the 35th Anniversary is a Judith Leiber bag collection. The line includes a "Retro Kitty" curved oval clutch, the "Pink Tulip" airstream, new "Hobo" style with silver handle shown above which will retail for $3995. These items are definitely a nod to those customers who have been fans of the Hello Kitty brand since its inception 35 years ago.

For those more artistically inclined there is the Three Apples art exhibit in Los Angeles, California curated by Jamie Rivadeneira the owner of Japan L.A. at the Royal/T space. The event is free of charge and over 80 artists display their Hello Kitty inspired pieces through November 15, 2009. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art will benefit Sanrio's charitable partner LA Works a non-profit organization that promotes community volunteerism.

I just heard from the team at Koryo Tours and wanted to share with you the results of their recent fundraiser. I know this is a bit unorthodox, but it's not often Luxist (or anyone else) has the opportunity to cover North Korean humanitarian charity efforts. Originally, Koryo Tours sought EUR4,400 -- EUR2,400 for 300 Braille dictionaries and EUR2,000 to install playground equipment in an orphanage in Wonsan, North Korea.

Hannah Barraclough, from Koryo Tours, writes, "We are very pleased to announce that thanks to your help we managed to raise an amazing EUR9000 which means we have been able to complete both of these projects and have surplus funds to go towards even more worthwhile projects next year - more info about these coming soon." She continues, "We (and the Korean children) are really so grateful to all of you who donated money. If any of you have been meaning to donate but haven't yet then please go ahead as it will go towards our future charity projects."

Yes, this was a "small money" charity event by the standards of Luxist, but I did hear that our readers made a noticeable difference. So, the least I could do is share with you the impact.

On Nov. 18 the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) will stage its 12th annual Collaborating for a Cure benefit dinner and auction at the Park Avenue Armory in New York. Building on the success of last year's event (above), which featured a concert by Steely Dan, this year's festivities include a Steve Winwood performance and a charity auction led by Sotheby's' C. Hugh Hildesley. Sure to attract high bids will be 5 pairs of tickets to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Nov. 19, an eye-popping display of supermodels in lingerie. The SWCRF, founded by Dr. Samuel Waxman in 1975, is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization that focuses on the most promising strategies for developing cures and treatments for many types of cancers, as well as preventative measures. SWCRF is at the cutting edge of research into alternatives to the traditional treatments of chemotherapy and radiation.

Hollywood couple Courtney Cox and David Arquette have become the latest celebrities to have a jewelry line, but theirs is for a good cause. The pair have collaborated with Satya Jewelry on a line of butterfly-themed pieces to raise awareness of a genetic condition, epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Courtney Cox told Vogue that the couple got involved when the son of a close friend was born with the condition which manifests in extremely fragile skin and recurrent blister formation similar to the look of a third-degree burn. The young sufferers are known as "butterfly children" because their skin is as fragile as a butterfly wing.

The Satya Foundation donates 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the jewelry to the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, which supports the fight to find a cure for this rare childhood skin disease. Pieces range in price from $24 for a silver pendant to $348 for the gold version shown above.

The 7th annual Tibet House US Benefit auction is taking place on November 18th at Christie's Auction House in New York City. The event is aimed at promoting and preserving Tibetan culture. Proceeds from the auction will be divided to sustain the Tibet House and another organization with like-minded initiatives. Some funds will support projects and programs spawned by the Tibet House in their mission of displaying and maintaining the ancient traditions of the Tibetan civilization. The event will also donate to Tibetan Children's Village an integrated educational community for destitute Tibetan children in exile located in Dharamsala, India. The fundraiser will also benefit the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey.

Items to be auctioned off include a package of four VIP concert tickets and a meet and greet backstage with Sting, internships at Rolling Stone and US Weekly, a private journey for two to Bhutan with guest accommodations, a luxury yacht cruise for seven to the Bahamas with a week long stay in a private house on the beach, lunch at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City with Uma and Robert Thurman, shopping and lunch with Donna Karan at her store, John Lennon, Martin Scorsese, and Miles Davis memorabilia, a one-week stay in a villa on the French Riviera, contemporary art and photographs from Annie Leibovitz, Patti Smith, Ed Ruscha, Donald Baechler, and more. TIckets to the event are $225 per person with VIP tickets that include a preview and private reception available for $500.

Do only the very wealthy pay retail these days? Seems like it. With so many discount shopping sites that sell high-end items, mere mortals can get said high-end items at low(er)-end prices. But is is there room for yet one more of these sites? LuxGoddess.com is hoping so. It recently joined the likes of Bluefly, ShopBop, and Gilt to offer upscale items at reduced prices. Here's what makes LuxGoddess different, however: It donates 10% of its proceeds to Bright Pink, a national nonprofit that provides education and support to young women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

Calling itself "the premier site for today's fashion trendsetters looking for great deals on their favorite designer brands," the site carries well-known brands, with a number of items pulled from online stores, and covers the standard categories of apparel, shoes, beauty, and accessories. There's also a sale rack, which is a user's personal sale rack, based on her size and brand preferences.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin seems to be finding his sea legs when it comes to philanthropy. Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki have announced a $1 million gift to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a group which helped his family when he was just a little boy from the Soviet Union. The society provides protection and assistance to some of the most vulnerable refugee populations around the world and also offers information, training, and expert advice on immigration laws.

Sergey Brin has an estimated wealth of $16 billion but he and his wife are learning about what their money can do. They have given away $30 million so far to various organizations including the Michael J. Fox Foundation and other research organizations devoted to Parkinson's disease. In a NY Times article on the latest donation Brin cited Bill Gates' research-heavy philanthropic model as an inspiration.

The Brin family came to the U.S. 30 years ago and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society helped them leave the Soviet Union for the United States and assisted with getting them visas and tickets and giving them money (what an excellent return on their investment). Brin started social networking site, mystory.hias.org, on the society's website to for Russian Jewish immigrants to post their stories. The gift will be used for a variety of purposes including supporting advocacy on immigration policy.

Interested in raising a little ruckus for a good cause on the night before Halloween? On Friday October 30, 2009 a group of young professional philanthropists known as "Future of Hope" will join City of Hope's fight against women's cancers by hosting the Halloween-themed benefit A Night of Mischief at Marquee in New York City. Appearances will include cast members from the hit television series Gossip Girl and The City and cameras from the CW television network will be on hand filming Tinsley Mortimer for her new CW reality series Empire State. This new reality show will air this winter chronicling Tinsley's travels, adventures and causes.

The evening will be dedicated in loving memory of Amy Salm who lost her battle with cancer this year. Tickets are $99 in advance and $120 at the door based on availability. Guests are asked to dress in costume. The night features an open bar with sponsors such as Innocente Tequila, Three Olives Vodka and Manhattan Beer Company. A dessert bar to satisfy even the sweetest tooth comes compliments of the Cupcake Stop and Milk & Cookies Bakery. There will also be a live raffle with over 30 prizes including a Valentino handbag, roundtrip jetBlue Airways tickets, Equinox gym membership, private dinner prepared by Chef Rob Hesse of Hamptons hotspot Georgica, and Knicks, Rangers, and Jets tickets.

I haven't heard much lately about Charlize Theron, but she made it back into this news this past week with her part in the OneXOne charity event on October 22 in San Francisco, where she took the stage to auction off a prize that included a two-week trip to her native South Africa to watch soccer's World Cup in summer 2010, a safari, and a meet-and-greet with Nelson Mandela. The winning bidder, a woman, received an extra item for her $140,000 donation -- a kiss with Theron, who had tossed in the offer of a kiss to increase bidding when the offers plateaued at $37,000.

Theron was at the event to help raise money for the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project, which is teaming with the OneXOne Foundation to bring soccer fields and clean water to the children of South Africa by 2010, in time for the World Cup. Theron is in a long-term relationship with actor Stuart Townsend. "My boyfriend is not here tonight," she joked during the auction.

Oceana, an international nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. dedicated to protecting and restoring the world's oceans, celebrated the launch of Oceana New York on Monday night with a star-studded bash at the stunning penthouse of socialite philanthropists Alexander and Brenda Schweickhardt (above, far right). A tableaux vivant of mermaids entertained guests at the event, which was sponsored by Tiffany & Co., including Sam Waterston and Sue Cohn Rockefeller (above, far left), John Varvatos and wife Joyce (above, center) Jeff Goldblum, Gina Gershon, Tommy Hilfiger and wife Dee, New York Jets tackle Damien Woody, New York Gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio, and socialtes Denise Rich, Bettina Zilkha and Jean Shafiroff. Since its founding in 2001, Oceana has achieved several major victories including protecting more than 640 million acres of ocean habitat.