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GulfWeekly has teamed up with the organisers of celebrity-backed initiative – Jeans for Refugees by Johny Dar – to raise funds and awareness of the plight of refugees as part of our annual Ramadan Community Campaign.
Each pair of denims is hand-painted by the American artist and designer who painstakingly transforms them into a unique ‘wearable art piece’ inspired by the celebrity who donated them.
A selection of the clothing is currently being exhibited in Bahrain’s MODA Mall and sold to raise funds for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The jeans are available for purchase online throughout the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid holiday … with free shipping for supporters until June 7.
The paintwork on the jeans may look abstract, but in reality each piece is a customised artistic tribute to the celebrity who wore them.
“They are artistic expressions representing the dynamic individuals that donated them,” said Johny. “Together they form one unified collection, representing support for this humanitarian cause, and bringing more awareness and ultimately more help to those who are suffering the current refugee crisis.
“Jeans For Refugees started as a humble dream of wanting to make a difference through what I can do, on a personal level, which is painting those jeans - and the rest was only possible through the generous souls that have contributed to this project.
“I am honoured and humbled to be a part of this, and grateful to everyone who is supporting the initiative. Your support really means the world, and means a lot to the world, because by coming together for a common cause, great change is possible.”
The mall exhibition was launched last week by Kashi Money, his company’s director of PR & communications, who revealed that more than 100 international celebrities have so far donated a pair of their jeans for the cause. “We would be delighted to confirm GulfWeekly as our official media partners,” she said.
On display are transformed jeans belonging to A-lists stars from the film, art, fashion and music industries, including Victoria Beckham, Carla Bruni, Candice Swanepoel, Pink, Usher, Salma Hayek, Eva Longoria, Harry Styles and Emma Watson.
The Jeans For Refugees items are being exhibited to support the IRC - an organisation at work in more than 30 countries, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic well-being and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster.
Londoner Kashi, who recently visited a refugee camp in Jordan, said: “It was particularly inspiring to meet those who have been involved in the women protection and empowerment programmes and to hear about how they have really helped to change and improve lives.
“Many of the women said that discovering them was a turning point in their lives. They were so full of determination, dignity and positivity to live a brighter tomorrow and give their children a better future.
“This trip fuelled many ideas to help develop the movement that Jeans for Refugees by Johny Dar has become, in different directions - to further raise awareness, change people’s perspective upon the refugee situation and empower people to collaborate for a common goal.”
The prices of the jeans varies, for example, Victoria Beckham’s signature flared affair can be snapped up for 15,000 euros, approximately BD6,300.
“The value placed on them is to do with the profile of the celebrity that donated them and also the amount of time Johny spent on painting the piece,” explained Kashi. “The time he spends on each piece completely varies - he works with the individual personality of the celebrity that donated them and translates their personality into an individual artistic expression, so the length of time that this takes really varies.”
Actress Sharon Stone - whose jeans arrived first – added: “It was my honour to donate anything at all to be of service to these refugees. In our own history around the globe, we, all of us, were moving country-to-country in our ancestral history to become who we are; a glorious global community.”
The Jeans For Refugees exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London in 2016 attracted more than 20,000 visitors in just one week, and featured a piece donated by Her Highness Shaikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, the wife of the ruler of Sharjah UAE, which sold for £100,000.
The Jeans For Refugees collection has also been showcased in London, New York, Berlin and Milan, and has now been brought to the Gulf region for the first time.
Kelvin Crutchlow, general manager of the mall and the Bahrain World Trade Centre, pictured below, said he was deeply moved by the initiative and its aims and felt that during the holy month staging the exhibition to promote such a worthy cause appeared to be ‘the perfect fit’.
“I was confident it would be something that our customers would appreciate and support and I’m delighted they approached us.
“The exhibition is in line with our charitable endeavours to celebrate the spirit of giving during Ramadan. We hope the local community will come forward to buy their favourite art piece and contribute actively towards the betterment of displaced people.”
The desirable denims will be available for purchase online through the Jeans For Refugees official website during the exhibition in the mall’s jewellery court, until June 30.
Readers are invited to visit the exhibition to immerse themselves in the artworks, choose their favourite jeans, learn more about the cause, as well as experience the innovation, collaboration and creativity of the Jeans for Refugees initiative in person.
USE the promotional code - FREESHIP - in the store until next Wednesday to get free worldwide shipping. Jeans can also be purchased from www.jeansforrefugees.com/shop
