Australia wildfires: Phoebe Waller-Bridge selling her Golden Globes suit on eBay to raise funds for relief efforts
Tuxedo has been signed by the Fleabag star
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Phoebe Waller-Bridge is selling the suit she wore to the Golden Globe Awards to help raise money for the relief effort in Australia.
On Sunday, the Fleabag star wore a custom-made suit designed by Ralph & Russo for the star-studded event, which featured geometric black and gold ribbon appliqué, Chantilly lace and a silk lapel.
But, instead of returning the outfit to the designer, or keeping it in her wardrobe, Waller-Bridge has decided to auction it off, with all proceeds going to charity.
The suit is currently available to purchase on eBay, with the starting bid standing at 77,000 Australian dollars (£40,000). The auction is set to end on 20 January.
The auction page states that the tuxedo was made to measure for the actor, but is close to a UK size 12 and has also been signed by Waller-Bridge.
“I'm very excited that this stunning, one of a kind, couture tuxedo created by Australian geniuses Ralph & Russo will continue it's journey by contributing to this urgent cause”, Waller-Bridge said in a statement.
“If money raised by its auction can help raise funds to fight the disaster in Australia, the future impact of this suit will be far greater than the luck it brought me and the Fleabag team at the Golden Globes last weekend.
“To add to its allure... I spent most of the night brushing it past and rubbing it up against all the sparkly people I could find. These threads are laced with legends!”
The writer and producer has decided to split the proceeds of the winning bid between three charities: the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund, which will help Red Cross emergency teams, WIRES Wildlife Rescue Emergency Fund and Wildlife Victoria, which are both on the ground assisting in the rehabilitation and recovery of thousands of Australian wildlife.
In a statement, designers Ralph and Russo said they are “delighted” by Waller-Bridge’s decision to sell the suit.
“Being both from Australia originally and with much of our family still residents across the region, it is with a heavy heart that we watch and hear the news of the terrible fires currently engulfing such large areas of our homeland,” they said.
“With Australia remaining so close to our hearts, we are delighted to stand next to Phoebe to support relief efforts with this special auction.”
Waller-Bridge joins a long list of celebrities who have helped raise funds for the relief effort in Australia, including Kylie Jenner, Chris Hemsworth, Nicole Kidman and Pink.
So far, the fires have claimed 24 lives and have destroyed more than 1,500 homes, ravaging through more than four million hectares of land.
Meanwhile, ecologists at the University of Sydney have estimated that around 480 million animals had been killed in the wildfires, including 8,000 koalas.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments