In an industry first, say the publishers, all 83 items and experiences pictured in the magazine were auctioned in an online sale by Christie’s. Star lots included a Chopard Tourbillon watch made of Fairmined 18ct rose gold, a bespoke Paul Smith suit and first fitting with Sir Paul, a champagne-paired dinner for six hosted by Olivier Krug in his childhood home in Reims, and a one-of-a-kind Prada crocodile handbag. The magazine also featured interviews with Colin Firth, Marc Newson, Stella McCartney, René Redzepi and Lapo Elkann.
Gillian de Bono, editor of How To Spend It, said: “This is a terrific result and demonstrates the incredible generosity of How to Spend It readers and all the luxury brands who donated lots. I am hugely grateful to my team for their tireless work over the nine months this issue has been in production and to Christie’s who waived all commissions for the project.”
Catherine Manson, international director of corporate affairs at Christie’s, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support the Financial Times’ innovative How To Give It auction and work as part of a unique partnership to raise such a fantastic amount for Save the Children.”
Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, added: “In recent years, under-five child mortality has been halved from 12 million to 6.3 million – a remarkable feat. In the next 15 years we can push to finish the job. The partnership with How To Spend It will not only enable Save the Children teams to save and protect children in some of the toughest situations, it has also raised awareness of our vital work, giving readers a greater understanding of our ambitions to save and protect children all over the world.”
