Valentino's supercar turn on the Cash & Rocket tour
Italian luxury brand Valentino showed its racing colors for a four-day, 1,600km, all-female rally between Venice and London (the third annual tour), which this year supported three African non-profits -- OrphanAid Africa, Shine on Sierra Leone and Sumbandila.
The 2014 Cash & Rocket race teams headed off from Piazza San Marco in Venice on Thursday, June 5 and, arrived in London on Sunday with stopovers in Geneva and Paris. On Saturday evening 35 bright red sportscars from manufacturers including Maserati, Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar, Ferrari and Aston Martin, rolled into Place Vendôme fashionably late. Their celebrity pilots included former Victoria's Secret 'Angel' Selita Ebanks, model Daisy Lowe and Topshop heiress Chloe Green.
Valentino creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri and Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani were also driving one of the cars together. Chiuri was involved for the second year running, despite previously never expecting to be behind the wheel of a supercar. It was her daughter who twisted her arm: "When I explained the mission to my daughter she said ‘Why don't you drive the car? I can go with you!' and that was it. I think it's important to do things with your daughter that are also for other mothers and their children."
"I'd never driven a Maserati before in my life!" she vowed, but she's a supercar convert after her time in the car: "I'm in love now!" Unfortunately for luxury fans there's no Maserati and Valentino collaboration in the works, with the designer laughing off any suggestion of a link-up for now.
For Chiuri, it wasn't just the fundraising which was important, but the time spent on the road with the other drivers, "You speak with other women, listen to stories, understand more about each other, and at the same time you have time for yourself. All these women are very strong, and live their life in a way which is very strong."
Her co-pilot Franca Sozzani was joining in for the final leg from Paris to London, her first time on the Cash & Rocket tour. She's not a supercar freak, "as far as it works it's fine," she explained regarding her interest in cars, but Sozzani enjoys the design aspects of automobiles and has previously customized a Mini for the Life Ball in Vienna.
According to the pair, Sozzani was on social media duties while Chiuri took care of things behind the wheel: "I'm not a digital woman, she's a very good digital woman," explained the Valentino designer.
The Cash & Rocket fundraising effort on Justgiving.com has currently raised £369,672 in total with Chloe Green and Kate Ryan in pole position with £212,787, and the Valentino and Vogue Italia ladies in second place with £60,584.
Net-a-Porter.com is also selling a limited edition Cash & Rocket capsule collection created by Valentino. The all-red line up includes a pair of red boots (€860), sneakers (€490) and a perfecto leather jacket (€3980), available online now with 20 percent of the profits going to charity.
