Gucci has been getting a lot of buzz lately, thanks in large part to the Marc Ronson-designed Gucci sneakers that are now being sold at the Gucci-Icon Temporary pop-up boutique on Crosby Street in Soho. The sneakers will also be sold at the other location of Gucci’s limited edition sneaker tour. The styles retail for between $500 and $600. But the Gucci Ronson kicks aren’t the only celebrity tie-in that Gucci creative director Frida Giannini has been involved in lately. Giannini, branding expert Steve Stoute, and singer Mary J. Blige were all on hand to open the new Mary J. Blige Center for Women in Yonkers recently.
The center is a chartible partnership between Blige and Stoute’s charity and the Westchester Jewish Community Services. In honor of Blige and her charitable endeavors, Giannini has designed a limited edition, stainless-steel women’s Twirl watch which retails for $1,895 at Gucci stores, on gucci.com, and in select department stores. A portion of the proceeds will go to Blige’s charity.
Stoute and Blige have plans to expand their charity’s programming throughout the five boroughs of New York City, and in 2010 “will implement scholarship programs which fund tuition for educational degrees and vocational training programs, as well as implement a grant program that supports women’s organizations.”
