Design News South Africa

Gavin Rajah joins global designers in annual charitable doll auction

South Africa's Gavin Rajah has joined the ranks of a select number of influential fashion designers, including John Galliano for Dior, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton and Miuccia Prada, who were commissioned to design a doll to raise funds for UNICEF's recent annual fund raising doll auction.
Gavin Rajah joins global designers in annual charitable doll auction

Rajah, who is the only fashion designer in the world that is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador as well, now joins this elite group and designed a doll which is at once “Gavin” glamorous but also has the unrivalled benefit of being adorned in South African diamonds and gold, courtesy of sponsor Galaxy & Co.

Galaxy & Co.'s marketing manager Marthinus van Loggerenberg commented, “We hope that this auction will realize a few dreams and that we can assist in making a difference in the lives of South African children, our very own ‘diamonds in the rough'.”

Rajah added, “As a designer it's been great creating something for a child to play with and yet the irony is that it's going towards assisting so many children who do not have the simple opportunity to be able to play with anything.”

The UNICEF Doll Collection went on show in Paris on 29 November 2007 and previewed to an invited guest list and was subsequently auctioned.

This year, the demand to buy these special dolls has increased, resulting in them being snapped up by buyers all over the world either as collectors of couture or as Christmas gifts for especially fortunate children.

The doll was sold in Paris via UNICEF France for €1000.

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