100 celebrity jeans auctioned for refugee relief

Artist and designer Johny Dar has launched Jeans for Refugees, a charity project involving over 100 celebrities from fashion, film, music, and art, including Ryan Gosling, Kate Moss, Sir Elton John, and Lily Allen. Each celebrity donated a pair of their own jeans, which Dar—an eclectic artist working across design, music, and body painting—has painted or artistically altered. The jeans are being auctioned online via Catawiki over the next 100 days. All proceeds will go to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian organization founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, operating in over 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities. IRC Vice President for Europe Sanjayan Srikanthan stated the funds will help refugees from displacement through resettlement and integration. The initiative will conclude with a week-long exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London and a final gala dinner. Dar will also paint jeans during a 10-day live art performance at a refugee camp, painting non-stop daily to highlight the resilience of millions of refugees seeking a new home.