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Blogging from the Luxury Summit: Exploring Modern Philanthropy

Filed under: Charity


The main focus of the American Express Publishing Luxury Summit this year was exploring the changing world of philanthropy. Luxury and philanthropy are a natural match but some companies are scrambling to show that they are doing their part for the greater good. The good news is that some are having a lot of fun doing it. If I learned anything this week regarding the new philanthropy it is that is has to be compelling and interesting for the companies and people involved. The start of the discussion on the new philanthropy was led by Lisa Gabor, the editor of the magazine just for American Express's ultra-wealthy Centurion card holders, Black Ink, Barbara Banke, who is the co-proprietor of Jackson Family wines and has also turned her talents to horse racing and Marjorie Federbush, President, Strategies and Synergies.

Philanthropy in the modern age is high-impact, hands-on and results-oriented. People are using philanthropy to continue personal and professional interests. Making it a way to explore hobbies or indulge at the same time as doing something for the greater good is one of the most popular ways to give, this is one of the reasons wine auctions and festivals work so well. The wineries and brands get visibility, the donors get a great time and the charities reap the benefits.

Kentucky Derby Hat Auction

Filed under: Apparel, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping


For the past three years, Grey Goose Vodka has teamed up with Eric Javits to create one-of-a-kind hats for the Kentucky Derby. Last year, Petra Nemcova was chosen to model a silvery white portrait hat that was auctioned on eBay, raising over $800 for the Barnstable-Brown Foundation. This year's creation was modeled by actress Zoe Saldana at the 133rd Kentucky Derby. The hat is a lightweight nylon, raffia and lurex in French blue with silver highlights. The unique chapeau was designed with a dramatic brim meant to symbolize the burst of energy of a grey goose taking flight. The hat, along with a custom designed hat box, is now up for auction at Clothes Off Our Back. Both the hat box and the chapeau are autographed by Javits and Saldana and together have a retail value of $1800. Proceeds from the auction will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to support pediatric cancer and disease as well as The Barnstable-Brown Foundation to support diabetic research. The auction ends May 15th and the last I checked, the bidding was up to $500.

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