The Naked Heart Foundation is a charity that provides children in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
with families and safe and stimulating playspaces.
[Naked Heart Foundation at the Charity Commission](_blank)
/ref> It does this through creating safe and inspiring play facilities in impoverished areas, supporting foster families and families raising children with disabilities, funding NGOs that work with such families, preventing the abandonment of children in Russia, and disability awareness campaigns.
Founding
The organisation was founded in 2004 by model and actress Natalia Vodianova
Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova ( rus, Наталья Михайловна Водянова, , nɐˈtalʲjə mʲɪˈxajləvnə vədʲɪˈnovə; born 28 February 1982), nicknamed Supernova, is a Russian model, actress and United Nations Goodwill ...
in response to the trauma she witnessed among children who had survived the 2004 Beslan School siege[Russian supermodel's playful ambition](_blank)
CNN. 15 May 2009. and, more generally, her perception of the importance of play for children.
Philosophy
The organisation believes that play should be viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury and that there has been insufficient attention paid in Russia to making sure that children have safe environments in which to play. The organisation's website identifies Russian psychiatrist Lev Vygotsky
Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (russian: Лев Семёнович Выго́тский, p=vɨˈɡotskʲɪj; be, Леў Сямёнавіч Выго́цкі, p=vɨˈɡotskʲɪj; – June 11, 1934) was a Soviet psychologist, known for his work on ps ...
as providing some motivation for the Foundation's work, and quotes him as saying, "A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that will tomorrow become his basic level of real action and morality. It is the essence of play that a new relation is created… between situations in thought and real situations."
The play parks and playgrounds
The organisation built its first Play Park in 2006 in Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...
as part of its "Play with Purpose" programme. It has since built over 158 Play Parks and Playgrounds (the distinction being that the latter are smaller in size). Architect and artist Adam Kalkin provided the design for the parks' recreation centres, which are constructed using shipping containers.
Every child deserves a family
In 2011, the Naked Heart Foundation launched a new programme, called "Every Child Deserves a Family". It focuses on supporting families raising children with special needs. The Naked Heart Foundation gives financial and administrative aid to professionals working for NGOs that assist families of children who have special developmental needs. In 2011, the charity opened its first Family Support Centre in Nizhny Novgorod, where families raising children with special needs are provided free support from qualified teachers, psychologists and therapists.
The Love Ball
There have been several events to raise funds for the Foundation – most notably the Love Ball. The event is held biannually and is the main source of funding for the charity's programmes, which aim to provide help and support to disadvantaged children and their families all over Russia.
Love Ball 2008
The 2008 Love Ball in Moscow (12–14 February 2008) was organised as a three-day event culminating with the Love Ball on Valentine’s evening. The 2008 Love Ball in Moscow (12–14 February 2008) was perhaps the largest charity event in Russian history. It was held at Moscow's historic Tsaritsino Estate. Over 400 guests attended the gala dinner, including Lucy Liu
Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress. Her accolades include winning a Critics' Choice Television Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Seoul International Drama Award, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Liu has star ...
; Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia ( , ; born 4 February 1975) is an Australian singer and actress. In the early 1990s, she played Beth Brennan in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''. Three years after leaving the programme, she began a singing car ...
; Eva Herzigova
Eva or EVA may refer to:
* Eva (name), a feminine given name
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment
* Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...
; Mario Testino
Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer.
His work has featured internationally in magazines such as ''Vogue, V Magazine,'' '' Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also cre ...
; Diane von Furstenberg
Diane may refer to:
People
*Diane (given name)
Film
* ''Diane'' (1929 film), a German silent film
* ''Diane'' (1956 film), a historical drama film starring Lana Turner
* ''Diane'' (2017 film), a mystery film directed by Michael Mongillo
* ''D ...
; Andrei Shevchenko; Paolo Roversi
Paolo Roversi (born 1947) is an Italian-born fashion photographer who lives and works in Paris.
Early life
Born in Ravenna in 1947, Paolo Roversi's interest in photography was kindled as a teenager during a family vacation in Spain in 1964. Ba ...
; Alfonso Cuaron
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
; and Rustam Tariko. There was also a charity auction that included unique lots, such as a weekend in Paris as the guest of Diane von Furstenberg, a bespoke Giorgio Armani suit with a trip to Milan and a Vogue fashion shoot with supermodels Eva Herzigova and Natalia Vodianova. The event raised $5 million for the Naked Heart Foundation's programmes.
Love Ball 2010
The 2010 Love Ball was held in London and supported by De Beers
De Beers Group is an international corporation that specializes in diamond mining, diamond exploitation, diamond retail, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. The company is active in open-pit, large-scale alluvial and c ...
. The evening involved a charity auction conducted by Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
of various pieces by De Beers and was attended by various people from the worlds of fashion, art and high society. Guests included Kate Moss
Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...
, Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model.
As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in '' Bedazzled'' (2 ...
, Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney (born 13 September 1971) is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the late American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney. Like her parents, McCa ...
, Donna Karan
Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.
Early life
Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...
, Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson (born 9 January 1965) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Julia McNamara in the FX drama series ''Nip/Tuck'' (2003–10) and Katherine Parr in the Showtime series ''The Tudors'' (2010). She has also appeared ...
, Mario Testino
Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer.
His work has featured internationally in magazines such as ''Vogue, V Magazine,'' '' Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also cre ...
and Jade Jagger
Jade Sheena Jezebel Jagger (born 21 October 1971) is a British-French jewellery designer, home designer, and former model. She is the daughter of Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger and 1970s fashion model and human rights advocate Bianca Jag ...
. The event raised £1.2 million for the Naked Heart Foundation, which enabled the construction of 14 new play parks and playgrounds around Russia.
Love Ball White Fairy Tale 2011
The 2011 Love Ball was a summer event held in the grounds of Valentino Garavani
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (; born 11 May 1932), known mononymously as Valentino, is an Italian fashion designer, the founder of the Valentino brand and company. His main lines include Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, a ...
's 17th century near Paris. The theme of the event was "White Fairy Tale", with most guests dressing in white or silver in keeping with the fairytale theme.
Guests included Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin (; born 7 January 1963) is a French fashion designer whose high-end stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started hi ...
, Margherita Missoni
Margherita Maccapani Missoni Amos (born February 22, 1983) is an Italian fashion designer, model, socialite and heiress to her family's Missoni fashion house, which was founded by her grandparents Ottavio Missoni and Rosita Missoni Jelmini. Misso ...
, Olivia Palermo
Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, fashion influencer, entrepreneur, model and television personality. Palermo gained celebrity status when she sued socialiterank.com for releasing a letter that was proven to be f ...
, Eva Herzigova
Eva or EVA may refer to:
* Eva (name), a feminine given name
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment
* Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...
, Paolo Roversi
Paolo Roversi (born 1947) is an Italian-born fashion photographer who lives and works in Paris.
Early life
Born in Ravenna in 1947, Paolo Roversi's interest in photography was kindled as a teenager during a family vacation in Spain in 1964. Ba ...
, Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( /hɪlˈfɪgər/; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.
After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place in upst ...
, Daphne Guinness
Daphne Diana Joan Susanna Guinness (born 9 November 1967) is an English designer, actress, producer, and musician.
Early life
Her father is Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne, the eldest son of Diana Mitford and Bryan Guinness. Diana Mitford wa ...
, Marc Newson
Marc Andrew Newson CBE RDI (born 20 October 1963) is an industrial designer who works in aircraft cabin design, product design, furniture design, jewellery, and clothing. His style uses smooth geometric lines, translucency, strength, transpar ...
, Arki Busson Arki may refer to:
*Arki, India, a town in Himachal Pradesh, India
** Arki Fort
**Arki (Vidhan Sabha constituency)
*Arki block, a community development block in Jharkhand, India
**Arki, Khunti, a village in Jharkhand, India
* Arki, Iran, a village i ...
, Ricardo Tisci, Matthew Freud
Matthew Freud (born 2 November 1963) is head of Freud Communications, an international public relations firm in the United Kingdom.
Early life
Freud is the son of the actress June Flewett and the writer and German-born British politician Sir C ...
, Valentino Garavani
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (; born 11 May 1932), known mononymously as Valentino, is an Italian fashion designer, the founder of the Valentino brand and company. His main lines include Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Roma, a ...
and many others. Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...
was the hostess for the evening.
World-famous fashion designers created a unique collection of dresses that were sold as lots during the charity auction. Designers included: Agent Provocateur
An agent provocateur () is a person who commits, or who acts to entice another person to commit, an illegal or rash act or falsely implicate them in partaking in an illegal act, so as to ruin the reputation of, or entice legal action against, the ...
, Alena Akmadullina
Alena is a feminine given name from the origins Russia and Czechia.
People
Alena is a variant of Helen. People with this name include:
* Saint Alena (died 640), born in Dilbeek, Belgium, and martyred c. 640
* Alena Douhan, Belarusian diplo ...
, Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion ...
, Alexander Wang, Balmain, Burberry
Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessories, ...
, Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
, Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French high-end luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. Chanel specializes in women's ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel is ...
, Christopher Kane
Christopher John Kane (born 26 July 1982) is a Scottish fashion designer based in London.
Biography
Kane was born as the youngest of five children in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire, to an engineer and draughtsman father and housewife mother.
K ...
, Christian Dior
Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses a ...
, Denis Simachev
Denis Nikolaevich Simachev (russian: Дени́с Никола́евич Симачёв; June 12, 1974, Moscow, USSR) is a Russian fashion designer and TV presenter. Winner of Russian and international competitions in the field of fashion.
Biogr ...
, Diane von Furstenberg
Diane may refer to:
People
*Diane (given name)
Film
* ''Diane'' (1929 film), a German silent film
* ''Diane'' (1956 film), a historical drama film starring Lana Turner
* ''Diane'' (2017 film), a mystery film directed by Michael Mongillo
* ''D ...
, Dolce and Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetic ...
, Franck Sorbier, Gareth Pugh
Gareth Pugh (born 31 August 1981) is an English fashion designer["Gareth Pugh: Fashion Designer."](_blank) , Giambattista Valli
Giambattista Valli is an Italian fashion designer. He is from Rome, Italy. His collections, both ready to wear and Haute couture are presented semi-annually during Paris Fashion Week.
Early life
Born and raised in Rome, Giambattista Valli complet ...
, Giles Deacon
Giles Deacon (born 1969) is a British fashion designer, Creative Director and Founder of Giles Deacon group, a fashion enterprise. Deacon joined the Paris Fashion Week in 2016. Deacon has been known to challenge the traditional ideas of womenswe ...
, Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...
, Givenchy
Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de ...
, Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...
, Hussein Chalayan
Hussein Chalayan, (; tr, Hüseyin Çağlayan ; born 12 August 1970) is a British-Cypriot fashion designer. He has won the British Designer of the Year twice (in 1999 and 2000) and was awarded the MBE in 2006.
Chalayan is currently teaching a ...
, Julien Macdonald, Lanvin
Lanvin () is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Paris. Founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, it is the oldest French fashion house still in operation. Since 2018, it has been a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Lanvin Group. Bruno Sialel ...
, Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...
, Marchesa
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
, Nina Ricci, Olivier Theyskens
Olivier Theyskens (; born January 4, 1977 in Brussels, Belgium) is a Belgian fashion designer who has worked with major design houses, including Rochas, Nina Ricci and Theory.
Early life
Theyskens was born to a Belgian chemical engineer and a ...
, Oscar de la Renta
Óscar Arístides Renta Fiallo (22 July 1932 – 20 October 2014), known professionally as Oscar de la Renta, was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta ...
, Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
, Riccardo Tisci
Riccardo Tisci (; born 1974) is an Italian fashion designer. He studied in Italy at the Design Istituto d’Arte Applicata in Cantù until the age of 17, and then graduated from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999. In ...
, Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli (; born 15 November 1940) is an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The high-end Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli sells luxury clothing, perfu ...
, Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney (born 13 September 1971) is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the late American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney. Like her parents, McCa ...
, Tsumori Chisato
is a Japanese fashion designer.
Tsumori was born in Saitama, and attended Tokyo's Bunka Fashion College. She began work with Issey Miyake in 1977 under the "Issey Sports" line, which was later renamed "I.S. Chisato Tsumori Designs." With the s ...
, Uliana Sergeenko
Uliana and Ulyana are feminine given names. People so named include:
* Uliana of Tver (c. 1325–1391), daughter of Prince Alexander of Tver and second wife of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania
* Uliana Olshanska, Grand Duchess of Lithuania from ...
, Valentin Yudaskin
Valentin is a male given name meaning "strong, healthy, power, rule, terco". It comes from the Latin name ''Valentinus'', as in Saint Valentin. Commonly found in Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Latin America ...
, Valentino, Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang (; born June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer.
Early life
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1949 in New York City to Chinese parents who emigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu ...
, Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...
, Vika Gasinskaya
Vika may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Persons
* often a short form of Victoria (and variants) in Eastern Europe
* Vika Lusibaea (born 1964), Solomon Islands politician
* Hilda Vīka (1897–1963), Latvian artist and writer
* Ludo Vika (born 1955), Dominican ...
, Viktor and Rolf
Viktor & Rolf is a Dutch avant-garde luxury fashion house founded in 1993 by Viktor Horsting (born 1969, Geldrop) and Rolf Snoeren (born 1969, Dongen). For more than twenty years, Viktor & Rolf have sought to challenge preconceptions of fashion an ...
, Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.
Westwood came to public notice when she m ...
, Worth, Yves Saint Laurent and Yulia Yanina.
The event raised €2.3 million.
Love Ball 2013
The 2013 Love Ball RIVIERA was held in Monte-Carlo on 27 July under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II and the Presidencies of H.S.H. Princess of Monaco and H.R.H. Princess of Hanover.[Love Ball RIVIERA 2013, Monte-Carlo]
Naked Heart Foundation. Retrieved 4 May 2020. It took place on 27 July 2013 in Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
.[ The event was held with the high patronage of ]Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005.
Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...
, and Charlene, Princess of Monaco
Charlene (' Charlene Lynette Wittstock; French: ''Charlène'';Since her marriage, her name has been Gallicised by adding a grave accent to her name in French documents. born 25 January 1978) is the princess consort of Monaco and a former Olympic ...
. The event took place in Salle Garnier of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house which is part of the Monte Carlo Casino located in the Principality of Monaco.
With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Prince Charles III, along with the Société des ba ...
that was transformed specially for the event in a gorgeous dining room. The Naked Heart Foundation raised 3.2 mln euro during the charity auction.
Love Ball Arabia 2019
Love Ball Arabia held under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Natalia Vodianova in Doha as part of the Qatar–Russia cultural exchange.
The charity gala managed to raise 7,4 million USD for both Naked Heart Foundation and Al Shafallah, thanks to generous and enthusiastic supporters including His Excellency Fahad bin Mohammed AlAttiyah, Alessandra Ambrosio, Diane von Furstenberg, Antoine Arnault, Anna Brewster, Carine Roitfeld, Cindy Bruna, Darren Criss, Elizabeth Chambers, Hailee Steinfeld, Hamish Bowles. Hans Ulrich Obrist, Imaan Hammam, Izabel Goulart, Jourdan Dunn, Maria Borges, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Olivier Rousteing, Olivia Palermo, Caroline Scheufele, Sasha Luss, Sofia Sanchez de Betak and Stephen Jones.
History and organisation
The organisation has an office in London. The Foundation's accounts are available under its entry on th
Charity Commission's
website.
References
External links
*{{official, http://www.nakedheart.org/
Naked Heart Foundation at the Charity Commission
Official website of the Love Ball
Children's charities based in England
Charities based in Russia
Foreign charities operating in Russia
Volunteer organizations in Russia