INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB BELGRADE ORGANIZES CHIC FOR CHARITY SILENT AUCTION TO RAISE MONEY FOR ITS CHARITY PROJECTS.
The International Women’s Club Belgrade (IWC) will be organizing a unique fundraising event, Chic for Charity, which Hyatt Regency Hotel is hosting on the evening of November 16th.
IWC is collecting and silent auctioning new and gently worn special occasion dresses, coats, jackets, handbags, scarves, and other select designer pieces from internationally known brands, as well as regional and local Serbian fashion designers such as Igor Todorovic, Marija Tarlac, Atelier Mia Kostov, Maja Pavicevic Atelier, and Ivko. Jkobald, a Serbian/Austrian fashion house, is one of the main donors for Chic and Charity event for which Jovana Kobald, chief designer, has created a special dress.
Also participating with their contribution of clothing is Ento Mreza, a network that represents artisans from all over Serbia engaged in the production of handicrafts using traditional techniques.
Some very interesting and exclusive pieces will be made available for bidding on. There is a vintage Versace jacket, along with a special jacket made by the Belarusian House of Fashion with the original Swarovski crystal buttons. Other items include an artisan bag from Italy and outfits made by designers from different countries such as a silk dress by Carlos Quintano with hand stitched glass pearls along the neckline, a lace dress by Spanish designer Adolfo Dominguez, and a dress by a French-Canadian design house. There will also be a number of leather jackets, a handbag by The Manual Company, and a pair of Chanel shoes.
Apart from designer and high-end fashion items, Chic for Charity will also auction some very special country-specific, traditional items donated by ambassadors’ spouses. Two Indian embroidered sarees along with a pure wool shawl have been donated by the spouse of Indian Ambassador for Serbia Mrs. Rumi Kohli. The spouse of Indonesian Ambassador Mrs. Aty Rachmawati is donating two handcrafted batik fabric pieces, batik being an ancient fabric wax-resist dyeing technique used in Java Island of Indonesia. The spouse of Pakistani Ambassador Mrs. Sonia Shehryar, who is also the President of IWC, has donated several Pakistani traditional tunics shalwar kameez. Ms. Eunhai Kim, spouse of the Mexican ambassador is donating a traditional Mexican embroidered blouse in the Frida Calho style.
“Our Fundraising Committee has gathered an exciting range of fashion items and we do hope our guests will share our enthusiasm, place their bids, and make a difference for a good cause. Among the donors supporting us, I would like to mention the Hyatt Regency Hotel, whose graciousness and hospitality I am sure will make a memorable event, and also the designers Nonna Handmade, Jkobald, Fantasia di Yeya, and all the others,” said Mrs. Shehryar.
All proceeds from the Chic for Charity event will be directed to COVID-19 prevention and relief in Serbia – providing resources to help prevent the spread of the virus and lessen the wider economic and social impacts of the pandemic.
The International Women’s Club of Belgrade is a non-government, non-profit organization consisting of members from approximately 30 different countries. IWC members are women from the diplomatic and international business communities, temporarily located in Belgrade, and local woman of the same profile with experience of membership in similar clubs from abroad. The club’s goals are to promote friendship and solidarity among women, help them adjust to their host country and understand and fraternize with the local culture, and to contribute to it with charitable and philanthropic actions.
The club has existed in this form for approximately 30 years but has been officially registered since 2011. It is most known for its popular Charity Bazaar, which took place every year during the first week of December. The Bazaar gathered participants from several dozen countries, many embassies, and several thousand visitors and in just last 10 years, has collected more than 560,000 euros of donations. Funds gathered at the Bazaar have found their way to numerous recipients among marginalized groups, medical services, institutions for education, and many other hands in need of help and assistance.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been preventing IWC from holding the Charity Bazaar, so last year and this year, IWC has come up with new and innovative ways to raise charity funds – producing and publishing a book titled Belgrade through the Eyes of Foreigners and organizing other smaller-scale activities, such as this Chic for Charity event.
“Since we cannot do our usual fundraising through the Charity Bazaar, we have really had to get creative,” said Zalina Stauch, a Singaporean who is also the IWC Vice President. “One additional benefit to Chic for Charity is that we are encouraging the recycling of clothing, doing good for the planet.”
For more information about Chic for Charity or the International Women’s Club of Belgrade, contact info@iwc.rs.
