Cash & Rocket Rally

Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks at Place Vendome

Italian luxury brand Valentino showed its racing colors for a four-day, 1,600km, all-female rally between Venice, Italy and London, England. This is the third annual tour for “Cash & Rocket”.
This year the race supported three African non-profits: OrphanAid Africa, Shine on Sierra Leone and Sumbandila.

Seventy women from the fashion world, art, film and finance teamed up to put pedal to the metal for a good cause. The 2014 “Cash & Rocket” race teams headed off from Piazza San Marco in Venice on Thursday, June 5, 2014 and, arrived in London on Sunday, June 8, 2014 with stopovers in Geneva, Switzerland and Paris, France.
On Saturday evening 35 lipstick red sports cars from top luxury manufacturers including Maserati, Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar, Ferrari and Aston Martin, rolled into Place Vendôme in the center of Paris a tad fashionably late.
Their celebrity drivers 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 a dynamic duo driving team in one of the cars together.

Daisy Lowe and Portia Freeman

The “Cash & Rocket” fundraising effort on www.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 raised.

Luxury fashion web site www.Net-a-Porter.com is also selling a limited edition “Cash & Rocket” capsule clothing collection created by Valentino.
The all-red line includes a pair of red ankle boots for 860 euro, running style sneakers for 490 euro, red leather pleated shorts for 1490 euro, a “Rouge Absolute” tee shirt for 190 euro, a red leather shoulder bag with a gold chain strap for 1690 euro, studded leather wrap bracelet for 190 euro and a too cool for school biker style leather jacket for 3980 euro. The collection is available online now. Twenty percent of the profits go to charity.
What a weekend to race in such luxurious dream machines, styled with a couture designer and all for a good cause. Sign me up for next years rally. I’m ready!