Under the High-Patronage of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS and Nadja Swarovski Present 22 Ways to Say Black

A Charity Auction of Original Couture in Partnership with Phillips de Pury & Company to Benefit Breast Cancer Research

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS has commissioned 22 of fashion’s most notable known names and talented newcomers to design one-of-a-kind little black dresses for the initiative 22 Ways To Say Black. On September 20, 2010 at the acclaimed gallery, Phillips de Pury & Company in New York City, under the high-patronage of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the one-of-a-kind dresses will be auctioned off by Simon de Pury, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society and La ligue nationale contre le cancer in France.

“We are thrilled to be associated with this exciting event benefiting a worthwhile cause. Swarovski proves with it that it is at the forefront in art, design and fashion. They have enrolled some of today’s greatest fashion designers to give the ultimate edge to the little black dress”

Black has often been referred to as “basic,” but in the world of fashion, the celebrated “little black dress” is anything but. A starting point of haute couture both modern and in times past, the “little black dress” is where creative talent has truly shined.

With this in mind, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS commissioned Giorgio Armani Privé, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, Lanvin by Alber Elbaz, Sonia Rykiel, and Vivienne Westwood, among other designers, to explore the aesthetic possibilities of precision cut crystals and the iconic little black dress. These original creations, all embellished with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, are now being put to their highest purpose, to be auctioned off to benefit the American Cancer Society and La ligue national contre le cancer, two leading cancer charities.

Throughout New York Fashion Week, beginning September 7 through September 20, visitors to the New York Meatpacking District outpost of Phillips de Pury & Company can preview these unique pieces which will be on display prior to the auction on the evening of September 20. After the auction there will be an exclusive cocktail party hosted by Nadja Swarovski, Vice President of International Communications.

One hundred percent of the proceeds of the auction and its accompanying catalogue, 22 Ways to Say Black, will benefit the designated charities. Published by Éditions Dilecta, the noted Paris-based art publishing house, the catalogue is available on Amazon.com and at select outlets in the United States and abroad. For a full list of distribution outlets in the United States and abroad, please visit www.swarovski-elements.com/black.

“We are thrilled to be associated with this exciting event benefiting a worthwhile cause. Swarovski proves with it that it is at the forefront in art, design and fashion. They have enrolled some of today’s greatest fashion designers to give the ultimate edge to the little black dress,” said Simon de Pury, Chairman.

SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS is the premium brand for the finest crystal elements manufactured by Swarovski. The designers’ choice since the founding of the company in 1895, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS provides creative talents from the fashion, jewellery, accessories, interior design and lighting industries with the latest on-trend innovations.

Available in a myriad of colors, effects, shapes and sizes, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS offer designers a fabulous palette of inspiration. Born out of passion for detail and high-precision cutting, they impart refined glamour to everything they embellish.

These precious ingredients can be recognized through the “MADE WITH SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS” label, which serves as a certificate of authenticity. It marks products that are made with genuine SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

Swarovski, a family company for more than a hundred years with values rooted in integrity, respect and excellence, is noted as much for its ethics in business as for its contemporary artistry and innovative flair.

PHILLIPS de PURY & COMPANY

Founded in London in 1796, Phillips de Pury & Company is widely acknowledged as one of the three leading international auction houses and is the only major auction house to concentrate on contemporary art and culture. The Company has enjoyed immense success in the global marketplace as a result of its focus. Phillips de Pury & Company is universally acclaimed for the quality of its visual presentation in catalogues and pre-sale exhibitions, its creative marketing activities and the pioneering vision of its Chairman, Simon de Pury, and his team in identifying new collecting trends and setting numerous auction records. Phillips de Pury is recognized as the contemporary culture tastemaker.

About Swarovski

In 1895, Daniel Swarovski, a Bohemian inventor and visionary, moved to the village of Wattens, Tyrol in Austria, with his newly-invented machine for cutting and polishing crystal jewellery stones. From this beginning that revolutionised the fashion world, Swarovski has grown to be the world’s leading producer of precision-cut crystal for fashion, jewellery and more recently lighting, architecture and interiors. Today, the Swarovski group, still family-owned and run by 4th and 5th generation family members, has a global reach with some 24,800 employees, a presence in over 120 countries and a turnover in 2009 of 2.25 billion Euros. Swarovski comprises two major businesses, one producing and selling loose elements to the industry and the other creating design-driven finished products. Swarovski crystals have become an essential ingredient of international design. Since 1965 the company has also catered to the fine jewellery industry with precision-cut genuine and created gemstones. Showing the creativity that lies at the heart of the company, Swarovski’s own brand lines of accessories, jewellery and home décor items are sold through more than 1,800 retail outlets worldwide. The Swarovski Crystal Society has close to 350,000 members across the world, keen collectors of the celebrated crystal figurines. And in Wattens, Swarovski Kristallwelten, the multi-media crystal museum, was opened in 1995 as a celebration of Swarovski’s universe of innovation and inspiration. The Swarovski group also includes Tyrolit^®, manufacturing grinding tools, Swareflex, for road safety reflectors and Swarovski Optik, producing precision optical instruments.

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