By Katrina Deisler
The Animal Ball took place in London on 22 November as an event to raise money and awareness for endangered species. This year, instead of a formal dinner in one location, 40 of London’s restaurants participated in 40 dinners in unison. After dinner, each group of guests made their way to the ball in packs wearing dazzling designs from top fashion houses. 12 of these bespoke masks, including those worn by Ellie Goulding and Lily Cole, are on sale now on Vero in a first time fundraising partnership. The masks, created by renowned fashion houses, including Jimmy Choo, Philip Colbert and Chloe, are raising money for Elephant Family, where 100% of the proceeds will go to support conservation work across the globe.
Vero, is a new social network that re-imagines the way users interact with social media. Its goal is to recreate real-life relationships in an online setting “We have created a platform where users can express themselves in the most natural way possible,” said Ayman Hariri, CEO and Co-Founder of Vero. The platform’s ‘Buy Now’ in-app purchasing will allow the masks to be sold efficiently and safely, with proceeds supporting Elephant Family in protecting endangered animals across the globe.
Elephant Family is an organisation that works to protect Asian elephants and their habitats. Ruth Powys, CEO of Elephant Family said: “Vero has been the perfect social media partner as it’s allowed us to communicate privately with our patrons and ambassadors, as well as publicly with our supporters via a single app. We love that Vero gives us the ability to deliver a fundraising ‘first’ through social media purchasing. We’re thrilled to be able to offer those unable to attend this year’s ball, the chance to ‘buy now’ and own an exclusive designer memento.”
To purchase a mask, download the Vero app (available for iPhone and Android) and follow The Animal Ball. Masks are available while supplies last for £400 each.