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Ben Sherman, a fashion icon with a deep musical heritage, joins forces with the Lifebeat Organization to auction signed plectrums and other bespoke memorabilia courtesy of some of
today's hottest musical acts to help raise HIV/AIDS education and awareness.
New York City's Gramercy Theater was host to the 'Ben Sherman Very Important Plectrum (V.I.P) Initiative to benefit Lifebeat' - the music industry's response to AIDS prevention and
education. Ben Sherman, the British-based fashion stalwart who has been shelling out design-smart contemporary menswear for almost half a century, approached Lifebeat to combine
forces in this kick-off event to raise AIDS awareness for an online auction of bespoke memorabilia by artists such as Coldplay, Depeche Mode, La Roux, Duran Duran and Broken Social
Scene. Specifically, signed plectrums/guitar picks, a photograph of the musician and a written note on where they last used the plectrum - all elegantly packaged in a glass frame. The
plectrums were on display, just below stage-right of the Gramercy Theater stage where the hot new band from across the pond, Graffiti6 (recently named by MTV as one of the bands to look
out for in 2011) and the original MC of Brooklyn - Talib Kweli - took the house by storm - both acts looking cool and relaxed in their own takes on Ben Sherman.
The auction, which kicks off on Ebay.com on May 29th could be taken as an interesting and perfectly imaginative gambol to promote the brand's new collection - Plectrum by Ben Sherman,
but for Mark Maidment, Creative Director of the British house, the whole experience amounted to much more than what could be gathered from the surface. "We launched this collection
called 'Plectrum by Ben Sherman' because we have an enormous musical heritage," says Maidment. "We're only about 50 years old and we're incredibly lucky that we released with the
Mods. We've been very fortunate as a fashion brand to be so tied to music. So as we launched this collection and got to talking with the marketing department, we couldn't get away from the
idea of the plectrum itself and how it's such a little beautiful accessible piece of music iconography. Someone came up with the idea of 'Imagine if bands would sign this thing that they've all
touched and then we auctioned it for charity.' So we suddenly said - forget the collection. This sounds like a really interesting and exciting project. We're a young company with social
responsibility. We've got young people who really care. So we said let's make it happen and let's make it global. "
Ben Wymer, Executive Director of Lifebeat (Lifebeat.org) - has a very special weapon on his side in the fight to spread awareness and education on AIDS and HIV. He has the entertainment
elite - the social zeitgeist itself - as a platform for spreading the word. "The Lifebeat program allows us to go out on tour with artists, so for instance - in every stop on Beyonce's last tour we
had Lifebeat volunteers passing out condoms and information, which we would also do at a local level in New York City venues, where we pass out condoms and information literature,
which we hope will reach young people with the message of HIV prevention." For the artists themselves, their music is their own device. "It feels amazing to get on stage and be able to give
back in a real way that is beyond entertainment," says Jamie Scott, lead singer of Graffiti6.
Hundred percent of the proceeds gathered from the auction will go back to the Lifebeat program, because really, no other percentage would do. "Nobody is doing enough to educate about
HIV/AIDS prevention," offered Kweli."We could all do more." And those are Mr. Maidment's thoughts exactly. His final word on matter: "We can never do enough."
today's hottest musical acts to help raise HIV/AIDS education and awareness.
New York City's Gramercy Theater was host to the 'Ben Sherman Very Important Plectrum (V.I.P) Initiative to benefit Lifebeat' - the music industry's response to AIDS prevention and
education. Ben Sherman, the British-based fashion stalwart who has been shelling out design-smart contemporary menswear for almost half a century, approached Lifebeat to combine
forces in this kick-off event to raise AIDS awareness for an online auction of bespoke memorabilia by artists such as Coldplay, Depeche Mode, La Roux, Duran Duran and Broken Social
Scene. Specifically, signed plectrums/guitar picks, a photograph of the musician and a written note on where they last used the plectrum - all elegantly packaged in a glass frame. The
plectrums were on display, just below stage-right of the Gramercy Theater stage where the hot new band from across the pond, Graffiti6 (recently named by MTV as one of the bands to look
out for in 2011) and the original MC of Brooklyn - Talib Kweli - took the house by storm - both acts looking cool and relaxed in their own takes on Ben Sherman.
The auction, which kicks off on Ebay.com on May 29th could be taken as an interesting and perfectly imaginative gambol to promote the brand's new collection - Plectrum by Ben Sherman,
but for Mark Maidment, Creative Director of the British house, the whole experience amounted to much more than what could be gathered from the surface. "We launched this collection
called 'Plectrum by Ben Sherman' because we have an enormous musical heritage," says Maidment. "We're only about 50 years old and we're incredibly lucky that we released with the
Mods. We've been very fortunate as a fashion brand to be so tied to music. So as we launched this collection and got to talking with the marketing department, we couldn't get away from the
idea of the plectrum itself and how it's such a little beautiful accessible piece of music iconography. Someone came up with the idea of 'Imagine if bands would sign this thing that they've all
touched and then we auctioned it for charity.' So we suddenly said - forget the collection. This sounds like a really interesting and exciting project. We're a young company with social
responsibility. We've got young people who really care. So we said let's make it happen and let's make it global. "
Ben Wymer, Executive Director of Lifebeat (Lifebeat.org) - has a very special weapon on his side in the fight to spread awareness and education on AIDS and HIV. He has the entertainment
elite - the social zeitgeist itself - as a platform for spreading the word. "The Lifebeat program allows us to go out on tour with artists, so for instance - in every stop on Beyonce's last tour we
had Lifebeat volunteers passing out condoms and information, which we would also do at a local level in New York City venues, where we pass out condoms and information literature,
which we hope will reach young people with the message of HIV prevention." For the artists themselves, their music is their own device. "It feels amazing to get on stage and be able to give
back in a real way that is beyond entertainment," says Jamie Scott, lead singer of Graffiti6.
Hundred percent of the proceeds gathered from the auction will go back to the Lifebeat program, because really, no other percentage would do. "Nobody is doing enough to educate about
HIV/AIDS prevention," offered Kweli."We could all do more." And those are Mr. Maidment's thoughts exactly. His final word on matter: "We can never do enough."
STYLISH SOUNDS
By Alexander Patino
POSTED June 1, 2011
Ben Sherman Very Important Plectrum Initiative to Benefit Lifebeat
