David Yurman amethyst pendants in support of The Lustgarten Foundation.

London Jewelers and David Yurman have come together to craft two beautifully constructed amethyst pendants in support of The Lustgarten Foundation.  Through their efforts, the fight against pancreatic cancer will continue as their non-profit Foundation continues to invest in research through the net proceeds of these noteworthy pendants.  Both London Jewelers and Yurman are dedicated to this exceptional cause since they have both have lost loved ones to the disease.

Retailing for $295 in silver and $1,700 for the 18-karat gold version, there is no way you can go wrong with either choice!  The piece has the signature Yurman touch–a 16-inch box chain giving the pendants their cable-like distinction.  A beautiful stone will be the perfect accent to your décolletage.  And knowing that 100% of the proceeds will be given to The Lustgarten Foundation can really put your accessorizing to the ultimate “do good” test.

Just released July 15th, orders can be taken via London Jewelers (877) 601-9924 until it is released in stores this fall.  Want to double up?  You can order your own pendant at The Lustgarten Foundation’s 10th annual Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on July 25 in Garden City, NY while you participate in a walk for the cure.

Each of the products below is offered by a company that contributes part of the price to a charity, add these items to your wish list this season:

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Rose Anne de Pampelonne silk Coralia Crave tunic Price upon request

Ten percent of each sale goes to I Can Serve to benefit women in Phillippines who have breast cancer.  Based in Paris, De Pampelonne’s works take inspiration from the local handicrafts and traditional embroideries of far-flung locales like Tibet, India, and her native Philippines.  This item is travel ready and perfect for all types of occasions, a classic your suitcase must not close without!

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Toms Orange Calypso Canvas Wedges $69

The newest and tallest member of the TOMS family, the Wedge. The world’s first heels with heart, in orange stripe.

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Joan Hornig 18-K gold, white-topaz Potato Chip earrings $1,750

All net profits benefit charities of the buyer’s choice

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Elie Tahari Monique Melody cork tote $398

Twenty percent of the net proceeds go to God’s Love We Deliver, a NYC group that  prepares  meals for those with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses.

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Brette Sandler for Hat Attack $95

Twenty-five percent of each sale goes to the Skin Cancer Foundation.  Swimwear designer Brette Sandler partners with Hat Attack to create a limited-edition UV protective beach hat in order to raise awareness and support for the Foundation.

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Valentino jersey-and-lace T-shirt $395

All proceeds go to the Francesca Rava Foundation for the children of Haiti.

The T-shirt was first promoted at Milan fashion week in February and has become a permanent item in the Valentino online store.

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Harry Winston platinum and diamond Guggenheim ring $26,000

Part of the New York Collection, among traffic and skyscrapers stands one of New York’s favorite monument and architectural icon, the ring is a sweet souvenir of New York and shows your commitment to the arts.  A portion of the proceeds goes to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.

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See July 2010 issue of Town & Country for more ideas

This is the first time the look of La Mer’s signature Crème de la Mer jar has been changed; “going blue” signifies the brand’s commitment to the oceans.

In support of non-profit organization Oceana’s international advocacy efforts, La Mer has created a limited edition World’s Ocean Day “blue” Cream de la Mer jar and will be making a $200,000 donation to Oceana.  La Mer’s collaboration with Oceana reflects its heritage–one that is deeply rooted to the beauty and power of the sea.

Oceana’s missions include promoting habitat protection, pollution control, safe seafood practices and responsible fishing. Their tireless scientific research efforts have motivated extensive global policy changes.  La Mer’s USD $200,000 World Ocean Day donation this year will specifically support the habitat protection campaign and the organization’s recent efforts in helping Belizean leaders with the protection of its incredible marine gems.  As Belize has the second largest Barrier Reef in the world, UNESCO added Belize Barrier Reef to its list of endangered World Heritage sites.

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As we all know, the tragic earthquake in Haiti is still causing great suffering; it will take years to re-build the state’s economy and infrastructure. One of the most important matters to prioritize in the re-building is their health care system for women and children, which is exactly what this year’s Fashion for Relief aims to do through raising money for CARE.

CARE is a non-profit specializing in fighting global poverty as it affects women. Their focus is on women because women have the power to “assist their families and communities in escaping poverty.” CARE works to “improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources.” The organization also provides aid to victims of conflict and natural disasters.

This year’s show, with host Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York), will be Friday, February 12th in the tents at Bryant Park during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The event is open to the public with tickets starting around $100. You can purchase tickets online through Ticketmaster. 100% of ticket sales will be donated to CARE. The donated garments will be auctioned online through NET-A-PORTER starting February 15th.

The first Fashion for Relief event took place in 2005 to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina; it raised over $1M. Way to go!

I’ve been looking for a new pair of jeans lately and was desperately searching for the Rock the Cure pair from Rock & Republic. I was about to give up on finding a pair that supported a charity until I came across a small, high-end denim label called Pierce Jeans. YES- Finally!

Pierce jeans are made from organic cotton and are known for their excellent fit and washes. But what really sets this label apart from other designer denim brands is the fact that Pierce donates a ’significant’ portion of their profits to children’s charities around the world including World Vision and Kids of Kilimanjaro.

Even better, Pierce actually hand-stitches a symbol on the back pockets that signifies to which continent/country/charity the profit from the sale of that particular jean is supporting.

Founded in 2006, Pierce already has a small celebrity following including A-listers such as Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez (ok so what if some of those names are B-listers).

Linea Pelle Alyssa Clutch, on sale for $98 - 50% of proceeds go to either UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders (your choice).

We all know the celebrities have come out en masse to support the awful earthquake in Haiti, so it’s about time luxury caught up! Leather goods brand Linea Pelle is generously marking down the prices of a selection of its handbags and giving 50% of the profits to your choice of charities – UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders.

The selection is quite limited, but I think the Alyssa Clutch (featured in the image) is a winner and it’s half off!

Founded in 1946 in response to the desolation caused by WWII, UNICEF - United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund – is the world’s leading advocate for children, with programs in over 190 countries. Focusing on practical ways to alleviate the symptoms of poverty and devastation, UNICEF works to secure children’s universal human rights as outlined by the UN.

Founded in France in 1971, Doctors without Borders is an international medical non-profit providing humanitarian and emergency care to people in over 60 countries affected by desolation, armed conflict and epidemics.

Women’s Wear Daily published an interesting interview this week with Charity: water’s Scott Harrison about luxury brands’ role (right now and in the future) in world-wide philanthropy.

Here is an excerpt:

WWD: How have your collaborations with fashion companies helped?

S.H.: Our most successful campaign has been with Saks Fifth Avenue. [Since 2008, the retailer has sold $5 rubber bracelets at various outlets, with 100 percent of proceeds going to Charity: Water.] We raised about $700,000 — enough to bring clean water to 140 communities. You’ll see us continue to do more with Saks. We’ve done stuff with Miss Sixty. We did a great campaign with Theory that raised $80,000 for Ethiopia.

WWD: How would you characterize the fashion industry as opposed to another group in terms of fund-raising?

S.H.: I think the fashion industry has very high standards for the kinds of organizations that it’ll support. I think that might hint at why we’ve been successful. When we started this, design was so important to us. Just because we’re a charity, why should our Web site look bad? Our attention to detail, to design, using large-scale photography [has helped].

WWD: How important are products and merchandise?

S.H.: It’s not a huge part of the bottom line, but it’s really important for awareness. We’d like to work with more brands. I think there’s a merchandising piece that we’ve started to explore with Saks but there’s a lot more. We haven’t really gone to full scale.

To read about what Monique Pean, Swarvoski and Saks have done specifically for Charity: water, click here.

It’s so great to hear about the real results of what luxury can do for a charity and what we as consumers can start just by shopping!

Jimmy Choo, the third member of the shoe triumvirate (Jimmy, Manolo & Christian) has joined the others in creating a line for charity.

Choo has partnered with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to support the Simelela Rape Center in South Africa  by donating 25% of all proceeds from his new line to the center.

The iconic collection, dubbed Project PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), includes handbags, flip flops, sandals, flats, bracelets and accessories. All products feature a collage of signature Jimmy Choo details like snakeskin, leather, grommets, graphic artwork and Choo’s label.

The fun and flirty sandals, featured on the model in the image above, are available at Saks for $975.

The Simelela Rape Center was created to address the physical and emotional needs of rape victims in its South African community. Sexual violence is a huge problem there and Simelela offers hope to women in their darkest hour providing post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV transmission prevention and trauma counseling.

Jimmy Choo Project PEP collection, prices range from $95 for flip flops to $995 for a large handbag - 25% of proceeds support the Simelela Rape Center in South Africa

Hermes Life in a Pocket tie, $180 - portion of the profits benefits the Sidaction Assication to fight HIV/AIDS

The crème de la crème of luxury goods, Hermes, has come out with quite a twist on their notable tie collection. Instead of some new avant-garde design rivaling their well-known critters in various scenes of recreation and amusement, the 173 year-old Parisian house has created this tie to support the HIV/AIDS effort and raise awareness.

The Life in a Pocket tie retails for $180 and is hand-folded out of heavy silk. The back of the tie features a small, hidden pocket designed to slip a condom and promote the message of protection and prevention.

Hermes is donating a portion of the profits to the Sidaction association to assist with advances in HIV/AIDS research. Sidaction is a public event/campaign in France that promotes awareness and raises money for various HIV/AIDS organizations.

In addition to publicity on TV and radio, Sidaction also organizes sporting and cultural events all over France where people learn about AIDS research and prevention and have the opportunity to contribute to the fight against the pandemic.

Yurman dog tags with or without pave diamonds, $450/$950 - 10% of sales go to Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Last week, I spotted these pink dog tags in a vitrine inside the David Yurman store on Madison Ave.  I was attending a special shopping event for the charity I volunteer for – Bottomless Closet (they provide clothing, interview/resume prep and career-oriented workshops to local NYC women) – so a special THANKS to David Yurman for putting that together!

The dog tags are made out of sterling silver and pink rhodonite, which is a rose-colored stone commonly used in upscale breast cancer-themed products . There is also a more expensive option with pave diamonds (.36cts), which is obviously the better choice.

10% of the sales from the tags will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by David Yurman. The Foundation strives to raise awareness, encourage early detection and fund research efforts to find a cure for breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in the world and women in the United States have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) chance of developing it in their lifetime. So there’s a good chance that if breast cancer prevention and a cure is not already a priority to you, it may become one eventually as this disease affects so many women around us.

The dog tags can be purchased at DY stores and at their online boutique.