July 13, 2005, NEW YORK, NY—After 10 years 7TH ON SALE, founded in 1990 by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Foundation and VOGUE magazine, returns and is available online for the first time. The unprecedented new format is sure to make fashion and fundraising history once again with a spectacular line-up of fashion's biggest names joining forces as major underwriters of 7TH ON SALE ONLINE: the CFDA, Dolce & Gabbana, eBay, Kenneth Cole Productions, Polo Ralph Lauren, and VOGUE. The world's largest online sample sale of designer items for women, men, children and the home will be available on eBay, The World's Online Marketplace™, November 10–December 7, with proceeds going to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Honorary Chairs for this year's sale are Kenneth Cole, CFDA Board Member and Chairman of amfAR; Domenico Dolce, Owner and CEO, Dolce & Gabbana; Stefano Gabbana, Owner and Chairman, Dolce & Gabbana; Ralph Lauren, CFDA Board Member and Chairman and CEO of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation; Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay; and Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. Co-Chairs Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Michael Kors, as well as an impressive Benefit Committee, guarantee that 7TH ON SALE ONLINE will be a major event for both fundraising and awareness.
The sale will kick-off with a black-tie 7TH ON SALE ONLINE gala party on November 10th in New York—marking the beginning of the charity auction on eBay which will run for four weeks. The gala, to be attended by fashion VIPs, celebrities and supporters of 7TH ON SALE ONLINE, will include shopping for exclusive items in a boutique setting designed Alfredo Parades of Polo Ralph Lauren, as well as the commencement of the online sample sale at special eBay terminals set up throughout the space. Thousands of one-of-a-kind designer items are expected to be available on eBay. Dolce & Gabbana will spearhead the effort to galvanize the participation of the international design community in the initiative. The gala will also provide guests with the opportunity to bid on "Ultimate Fashion Adventures" —highly coveted auction packages created by Vogue and offered on eBay beginning the week before the gala.
7TH ON SALE has raised over $10 million since its 1990 debut, and memorably brought together the entire fashion industry to fight HIV/AIDS. While incredible progress has been made toward combating the epidemic, it remains a constant—and global—threat and federal funding has been drastically reduced.
"The need for our industry to host this event is acute," said Stan Herman, President of the CFDA. "7TH ON SALE was an unprecedented effort by the fashion community which had a very beneficial result for the HIV/AIDS community. But, this issue hasn't gone away."
"Its 20 years and more then 20 million deaths later and still no cure," said Kenneth Cole. "42 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS and the largest statistic of all is "0." That is the number of people who have been cured. AIDS is not going away and it is important that the fashion community, again, be leaders in this tragic battle: to know, prevent, cure and care."
"Bringing 7TH ON SALE to the eBay marketplace will allow more people to be a part of this important fund raising effort," said Meg Whitman. "We're proud to work with the CFDA and Vogue to open the doors of 7TH ON SALE to a global audience of fashion enthusiasts and eBay users."
1995 marked not only the last 7TH ON SALE event in New York: it also marked the founding of eBay, now the number one online fashion site according to Nielsen/Net Ratings. eBay has changed the way people shop, and this year will break new ground by giving people all over the world access to fashion they might not find elsewhere, through the world's largest online sample sale.
"The relationship with eBay was a natural for us," said Stan Herman. "We are modernizing the way we raise funds and giving 7TH ON SALE ONLINE the framework it needs to hopefully become an annual event."
The proceeds from 7TH ON SALE ONLINE will be distributed through the CFDA-VOGUE INITIATIVE / New York City AIDS Fund. The CFDA Foundation will target these dollars for education and prevention programs.
