BMW has picked Italian designer Roberto Cavalli to customize a unique Mini that will be sold at auction during the Life Ball in Vienna to raise funds for the fight against AIDS. It will be unveiled on May 25 in the Austrian capital.
The car manufacturer and Roberto Cavalli will present a Mini Paceman with a unique design. The designer has described the process of turning his design talents to a car as both exciting and invigorating.
It has become a tradition for Mini to present a one-off at the Life Ball which is then sold at auction. In previous years, Agent Provocateur, Donatella Versace and Gianfranco Ferré have also customized Mini cars.
The theme of the 2013 Life Ball 2013 will be “Arabian Nights”.
Official news from MINI: May 25th marks the date: in 2013, MINI will once again be supporting one of the biggest AIDS charity events worldwide, held annually to promote this cause. The Life Ball combines the extraordinary tradition of the Viennese ball, a spectacular opening ceremony and a strong demonstration of social commitment. MINI regularly donates a specially designed vehicle for auction at the event, the proceeds of which go to projects dedicated to fighting and preventing HIV and AIDS. Over the past years, a total of more than half a million Euros has been raised. It is tradition for this special MINI to be given a creative makeover by an internationally renowned designer who also stages the Life Ball Fashion Show.
This year Roberto Cavalli will be doing the honors on behalf of this charitable cause. One of the world’s most famous international fashion designers will be designing a MINI Paceman and giving it his own creative signature. His unconventional fashion style complements the MINI perfectly reflecting both its traditional values and modern diversity: “Designing the MINI was a very fun, exciting and stimulating experience. I had to create a car which not only respected and conveyed my fashion, but also my lifestyle: an unusual challenge, but surely a fascinating one”, says Cavalli. The result will be a one-of-a-kind car that crosses the boundaries of classical automotive design.
MINI at the Life Ball 2013 under the motto “1001 Nights”.
Since 1993 Life Ball has participated and taken part in the battle against HIV and AIDS, attracting thousands of committed visitors every year to the Rathausplatz, the large square in front of Vienna’s City Hall. Based on this year’s motto “1001 Nights”, the Red Ribbon stage will display a spectacular oriental-style show with fairytale costumes lined up for the spectators. MINI has been a partner of Life Ball since 2001. Over the years it has managed to persuade many famous style icons to design the one-of-a-kind MINIs, among them Donatella Versace, Renzo Rosso, Angela Missoni and Diane von Furstenberg. The imaginative renderings and individual signature of the renowned designers have invariably turned these unique MINIs into coveted collector’s items placed as auction items during the AIDS Solidarity Gala to raise money for the HIV and AIDS cause. This year MINI is creating a MINI Paceman to the celebrate fashion designer Roberto Cavalli. Initial sketches will follow shortly.
