Jamie Oliver does it again, after his famous food revolution to change the eating habits of kids worldwide, he just started a new project known as the ” The Big Chair Project” where designers and artists including Paul Smith, Quentin Blake, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, and Tracey Emin have customized classic Ant chairs by Arne Jacobsen, which will be auctioned in order to raise money for Jamie Oliver’s Better Food Foundation.
The Burberry Stud by Christopher Bailey, Burberry chief creative officer
Hand Massaged Petal Chair by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
Luvly Grub by Paul Smith
Artists and designers including Tracey Emin, Paul Smith and Sarah Burton collaborate to mark milestone with the decoration of iconic Fritz Hansen chairs
To mark the 10th anniversary of Fifteen restaurant, the social enterprise set up to mentor disenfranchised young people and train them to become chefs, Jamie Oliver’s charity, the Better Food Foundation, has launched The BIG Chair Project – an exciting collaboration with some of the top names in fashion, art and design.
Furniture brand Republic of Fritz Hansen – a long-standing supporter of Fifteen – has donated twenty iconic ANT chairs for the artists to impose a personal, food-inspired design upon. Each of these unique designs will be auctioned to raise money for the Better Food Foundation, which receives all profits from Fifteen to empower young people by training them for careers in the restaurant industry.
The array of artists working with the ANT chairs, which itself celebrates a 60th anniversary this year, includes Tracey Emin, Paul Smith, Christopher Bailey, Cath Kidston and Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton.
Jamie Oliver is also getting involved himself, customising a classic EGG chair and footstool, which Fritz Hansen have also kindly donated. Jamie will also design an ANT chair in collaboration with renowned photographer David Loftus.
There are lots of ways for the public to support the initiative. Some of the chairs will be available to win as part of a lottery. People simply need to buy a ticket at www.thebigchairproject.org to support the initiative and be in with a chance of winning a unique chair from one of the designers.
The remaining chairs will be auctioned online to give fans across the world the chance to get their hands on something truly unique.
The auction will close at an event in October, after a mix of online and live bidding as the great and good gather for this climactic fundraiser. The centrepiece of the auction will be a Tracey Emin ANT chair, which will be unveiled at the event as an ‘on the night’ exclusive item.
A full list of artists and designers involved in The BIG Chair Project:
Barnaby Purdy
Cath Kidston
Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Officer, Burberry
David Loftus
Emma Tissier
INSA
Jamie Oliver
Jay Jay Burridge
Jonathan Yeo
Julian McDonald
Liberty
Matthew Williamson
Nunzio Citro (former Fifteen apprentice)
Paul Smith
Quentin Blake
Ricardo Cinalli
Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
Superdry
Jo Sampson Collection for Waterford Crystal
Tracey Emin
Commenting on The BIG Chair Project, Jamie Oliver said, “It’s incredibly exciting to think that Fifteen restaurant and the Foundation have been helping to inspire, educate and empower young people for 10 years now. I’m truly humbled to have such a brilliantly talented group of people from the fashion and art worlds to help on this fantastic project to raise money and help us mark the occasion. If you’d like to help us celebrate too, check out the Foundation website for more info.”
You can follow Jamie Oliver on his Instagram account @jamieoliver, I will post below a few of the images he shared earlier today regarding this project.
For more information about The BIG Chair Project and to donate money to the Better Food Foundation, please visit www.thebigchairproject.org
Photos are by David Parry/PA.