Eco Fashionista Auctions Off Wardrobe For Charity

NEW YORK, March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Uniform Project™ (U.P), a sustainable fashion platform that embraces philanthropy through creative challenges, is today announcing the much-anticipated release of 200 one-of-a-kind vintage, designer and sustainable accessories through a charity auction on eBay, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Akanksha Foundation in India. The charity auction, which will run from March 29th to April 12th at ebay.com/uniformproject, includes vintage and sustainable accessories from international designers, well-wishers, and eBay, who have donated them in support of U.P founder Sheena Matheiken's creative challenge to wear the same little black dress for 365 days. The charity auction, launched in collaboration with the eBay Green Team, also features three full "looks" from Sheena's daily reinventions of  the dress, including three limited edition releases of the U.P's iconic little black dress designed by U.P co-founder Eliza Starbuck. 

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100330/NY77989 )

Since May 2009, Sheena has pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion, dubbed The Uniform Project.  Her effort is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation for the education of underprivileged children living in Indian slums. All of the accessories up for auction have been featured on the U.P website during Sheena's yearlong wear-a-thon, on multiple days and in every imaginable way. From necklaces on her head to pants around her neck, Sheena has proven that with a little creativity, one fabulous accessory can go a long way.

"From the beginning of my one year challenge, it was always our intention to auction off the donated pieces for the Akanksha kids," says Sheena Matheiken, founder of The Uniform Project. "We've had so many spectacular donations that I must admit I'm having a hard time seeing them go. But ultimately, I'm happy that each piece will find a new owner while helping support another child in school." 

The charity auction represents the latest collaboration between The Uniform Project and eBay, the online shopping destination where Sheena discovered many of the one-of-a-kind vintage and pre-loved pieces that she used to accessorize her looks. By giving the hats, scarves, shoes and belts that Sheena featured through the year a new life, the charity auction underscores the core ethos of eBay's Green Team initiative: that the greenest product -- and often the most unique and fashion-forward -- is the one that already exists.

"We at eBay are thrilled to be bringing together our Green Team initiative and our charity fundraising program, eBay Giving Works, in support of The Uniform Project's accessory auction," says Amy Skoczlas Cole, Director of the eBay Green Team. "Sheena and her team have brilliantly illustrated one of our core sustainability principles at eBay: that sustainable shopping doesn't have to be a trade off.  With a little creativity and some vintage treasure-hunting, it can be one of the most fabulous, unique, and affordable ways to express yourself."

The U.P has amassed a viral and dedicated following: over the past 11 months, the site received over 1.7 million hits, and to date has raised more than $60,000 in funds for Akanksha.  The blogosphere picked up the project within days after launch, and the U.P now engages over 10,000 Twitter and Facebook users, along with a regular audience that tunes in daily to provide colorful commentary on the daily posts. 

About The Uniform Project:

The U.P is a global online platform that embraces a sustainable and socially responsible culture through the mediums of design, fashion, social media and digital philanthropy. Since its inception in May 2009, The Uniform Project continues to evolve radically as an international movement for positive change.  Find The Uniform Project at www.theuniformproject.com and www.twitter.com/uniformproject and www.facebook.com/ebaygreen.

About the eBay Green Team:

The eBay Green Team is a community of nearly 150,000 eBay employees and enthusiasts who are inspiring the world to buy, sell, and think greener every day.  Today, the members of the eBay Green Team are front-line advocates for a new ethic-that using what exists in the world today rather than manufacturing new things, is good for both the planet and the pocketbook. Find the eBay Green Team at ebay.com/greenteam, twitter.com/ebaygreen and facebook.com/ebaygreen.

Auction website:

http://www.ebay.com/uniformproject

SOURCE The Uniform Project