With its largest flagship in the world opening on Fifth Avenue during New York Fashion Week, complete with a sparkling charity bash hosted by Madonna on February 6, the Italian house launched today an online valentine to the Big Apple. The site, with a cute URL of Gucci Loves NY, offers a preview of the massive retail temple--designed by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini and celebrity architect James Carpenter. It also features Madonna's "I Love New York" as soundtrack; a Google map with Frida and designer Mark Lee's favorite shops, eateries, nightclubs and other haunts; pics and entries from established bloggers and, well, whomever wants to contribute. Gucci will add the best entries to the map and the four top posts will score a limited-edition Gucci Loves NY handbag.
The bag will also be sold at the new store, and 100 percent of the proceeds (that's not the price tag, but a percentage of the percentage. But any ducats is always good...) benefits the Playground Partners of the Central Park Conservancy. This donation is earmarked for the upkeep and operation of the 21 children's playgrounds in Central Park.
Gucci's good deeds continue with the fundraiser, an over-the-top dinner and musical performance to raise funds for UNICEF and Raising Malawi. Despite recent press that the nonprofit, which Madonna founded in 2006 in tandem with her adoption efforts in the African country, is tied to her Kabbalah pals, her flak insists "accountability will be clear and specific." That would be nice since it focuses on ending poverty and hardship suffered by Malawi's 1 million orphans, many whose parents died of AIDS. Gucci's parent PPR has been a UNICEF corporate partner since 2004.
The New York event is expected to raise at least $2 million. Never mind how much it will actually cost. Heightening awareness is always part of the reason for doing these spectacles, and having celebs such as event co-chairs Gwyneth Paltrow, PPR ceo Francoise-Henri Pinault and his baby's mama Salma Hayek, Adrien Brody, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher helps spread the word and interest among even aspirational Gucci geeks.
Better to do some good than do a whole lotta nothin'.