Eurovision week begins: from 10 May the first charity auction inspired by Europe's most prestigious music competition will be live. Artists such as Jamala - Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest - and French duo Madame Monsieur have donated unique items worn by them at the song contest in order to support Ukrainian people affected by the war. The charity auction will also feature a selection of iconic accessories and clothing pieces that embody Europop’s eclectic fashion legacy.
"It is more than just a dress related to my personal history at Eurovision. I would say it is a masterpiece with the Ukrainian spirit and many years of tradition," said Jamala. "This dress is unique in its own way, it was created by Yuliya Magdych for my Eurovision appearance. It symbolizes a precious memory for me and I hope that during the Catawiki auction we will be able to raise funds for the Yellow-Blue Foundation, which provides I.T. assistance to the Ukrainian efforts."
The 'Europop Charity Fashion Auction for Ukraine' will be hosted from Tuesday 10th May to Wednesday 18th May on Catawiki, the leading online auction marketplace with over 75,000 special objects up for auction every week - each selected by experts. All proceeds will be donated to the Yellow-Blue Foundation, a charity supporting Ukrainian people affected by the war.
The auction will celebrate some of the most memorable fashion looks that have graced Europe's most important stages since its first edition in 1956.
"Since 1956, Eurovision's unifying message and values of solidarity has brought audiences together around the world through creative performances, cultural stories and unparalleled fun. Our charity auction aims to capture the essence of Europop style and the diversity that makes this event so special." said Lorenzo Altimani, Catawiki's fashion expert who curated the auction. "This auction will be running whilst millions of fans will be watching the song contest live and offers them a chance to own a rare piece of Eurovision history while supporting the people of Ukraine."
Jamala wore this dress to the Eurovision opening ceremony in Kyiv in 2017, following her victory in Sweden the previous year. The dress was sewn by Ukrainian designer Yuliya Magdych.
Jamala has been fighting for her country for years. At the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest she performed the song '1944', inspired by the deportation of the Crimean Tatars, which involved her great-grandmother Nazylchan, who fled the deportation at the age of 25 with her four children.
Jamala herself is striving to help Ukraine in a concrete way: recent live shows with her and other artists raised more than €83 million for Ukraine, and for this auction on Catawiki she personally chose the Yellow-Blue foundation to which all proceeds will be donated. Our experts estimate that the auction proceeds for this dress will reach about €4000.
Another iconic lot up for auction is that of French electro pop duo Madame Monsieur, who donated the autographed sneakers they wore during their Eurovision 2018 performance in Lisbon with the song ‘Mercy’, which earned them 13th position.
According to experts, the shoes are estimated to be worth around €300 per pair.
Iconic looks of Europop fashion available in the auction include:
Christian Louboutin's Chelsea stage boots
The winners of the 2021 edition were Maneskin, who wore this style of boot on stage. In fact, Chelsea stage boots are characteristic of any band's rock culture and similar heels were also worn by Abba who won the contest in 1974.
The Silver Blazer
Among the artists who have participated in the festival, silver outfits can be seen in almost every edition, perfect for the stage. The most iconic representation was by pop singer and drag queen Verka Serduchka, who represented Ukraine in 2007.
Rainbow dresses
Eurovision has a strong following from the LGBTQ+ community and many artists over the years have worn outfits with rainbow references, such as Francesco Gabbani in 2017 and Lydia, representing Spain in 1999.
Each inspired look in this auction is inspired by the eclectic, cultural and artistic style of the contest with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community that characterizes Eurovision.
All auction items can be viewed at this link.
