Emma Stone’s Elie Saab Dress is the Star of Sotheby’s Auction to Support Beirut

The custom-made Elie Saab dress, worn by actor Emma Stone to the 2015 Oscars, is available at Sotheby’s To Beirut with Love auction. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s has announced its plans for a charitable auction in order to raise funds for Beirut. The auction, titled To Beirut with Love will feature a handful of extraordinary items, including a custom Elie Saab dress, worn by award-winning actor Emma Stone to the 2015 Oscars.

The British-founded auction house has partnered with two nonprofit organizations, Creatives for Lebanon and Art for Beirut to develop the To Beirut with Love initiative, in order to support those affected by the Beirut explosion. The sale will be open for bidding from December 7 to December 15, where a number of handpicked donations from iconic artists, celebrities, and fashion and jewelry designers will be on offer.

The star of the auction is noted to be a breathtaking gown by Lebanese couturier, Elie Saab. The pale-green sequined dress features an open back and a thigh-high slit and was worn by Stone, at the Oscars ceremony in 2015 where she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Birdman. The stunning gown is estimated to sell for between £20,000 to £30,000 ($26,700 to $40,025).

A silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian actor Sherihan, worn in her Thousand and One Nights Fawazeer show in 1987, is available in the To Beirut with Love auction. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Other remarkable fashion items include singer Madonna‘s matador-inspired outfit created by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran; and Geri Halliwell’s sequinned number worn in the music video for the Spice Girl‘s debut single Wannabe. Additionally, a silk haute couture gown designed by Egyptian icon Sherihan, for her Thousand and One Nights Fawazeer show in 1987, has been donated alongside Lebanese singer Majida El Roumi‘s unique sky-blue embellished dress from her wardrobe collection.

Leading the jewelry line-up is the unmissable My Dior cuff and British-artist Damien Hirst‘s gold pill bracelet with diamond skull. The eye-catching gold My Dior bracelet, designed by artistic director of Dior Joaillerie, Victoire de Castellane, features a dazzling array of diamonds and colored gemstones and is expected to generate at least £30,000 to £50,000 ($40,025 to $66,700). Elsewhere Hirst’s playful bracelet, created in 2015, reflects the theme of pharmaceuticals, which is often present in contemporary artist’s work.

Among many of the captivating artworks is a photograph taken from the Suit Egyptienne series by leading Lebanese photographer Fouad Elkoury. British supermodel Naomi Campbell has also donated one of her favorite portraits, an image of herself shot by photographers Rocco Lapasta and Charles DeCaro, that is estimated to sell for £3,000 to £5,000 ($4,000 to $6,671).

Sotheby’s has confirmed that all the proceeds from the auction will be shared among five charities that are providing relief to Beirut following the tragic port explosion in August. The five charities chosen by the initiative are Nusaned, Beit El Baraka, Baytna Baytak, Al Fanar, and House of Christmas.

“Lebanon is home to an artistic community whose contributions to the cultural landscape cannot be overstated,” says Sotheby’s chairman for the Middle East, Edward Gibbs. “The explosion in the port of Beirut this summer sent shockwaves through the city and the world, impacting every sector of society in Lebanon with countless tales of loss, damage, and displacement. Sotheby’s has come together with our partners to host the auction, To Beirut with Love, to provide much-needed relief and funds to aid the healing process.”

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