Freida Pinto inspires Colin Firth to donate his tuxedo (MID DAY)

December 22, 2012
MUMBAI Kunal M Shah

They say charity begins at home. Well, for Freida Pinto it began in Dubai. She recently auctioned her 1920’s vintage Valentino gown that she wore to an event at the desert Emirate. And not just that, the actress even inspired Colin Firth to do the same. Freida is yet to sign a Bollywood film but that’s not stopping her from making just the right kind of friends in Hollywood. And one among the many is Colin Firth.

The Mumbai-born actress wore a Valentino gown to the event and offered to donate it for charity. The source adds, “Livia and her team were bowled over by her generous offer. The dress fetched a whopping amount.”

Seeing Freida’s gesture, Colin too decided to pledge his custom-made Paul Smith tuxedo for the cause. “He mentioned on the stage that her act inspired him to take this step, thereby making the tuxedo his second addition to the lot auctioned from his end.”

READ MORE: http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2012/dec/221212-Freida-Pinto-inspires-Colin-Firth-to-donate-his-tuxedo.htm

Colin Firth among stars at Dubai Film Festival (SCOTTISH PASSPORT)

British actor Colin Firth was among the stars to grace the red carpet at the Dubai International Film Festival last week, attending a charity ball and auction on Saturday night with his Italian wife Livia.

The couple posed for photographers as they entered the 'One Night to change Lives' event, which raised half a million dollars for local agency Dubai Cares and international charity Oxfam.


Other stars to attend included Sex and the City's Kristin Davis, Rooney Mara from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto.

The majority of the ladies were proudly taking part in Livia Firth's Green Carpet Challenge – which encourages the stars at red carpet events to wear clothing which is sustainably produced as well as stylish.

The green entrepreneur and film producer came up with the idea of the challenge in 2009, with journalist Lucy Siegle, and now insists on wearing ethical fashion to all events.


READ MORE: http://shows.stv.tv/scottish-passport/celebrities-on-holiday/206167-colin-firth-among-stars-at-dubai-film-festival/

Colin Firth,Stars raise $542,000 for charity in Dubai (TABLOID)

The Oxfam charity gala on the sidelines of Diff saw celebrities out in full force

By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Senior ReporterPublished: 12:23 December 15, 2012

TAB_121214_OXFAM_RED_CARPET Actor Colin Firth with his wife Livia at the red carpet for the Cares and Oxfam 'One Night to Change Lives' Charity Gala, at the Armani Hotel, during the 2012 Dubai International Film Festival ? photo Zarina Fernandes/ Gulfnews

The slight drizzle in Dubai on Friday threatened to pull the rug (or should we say red carpet) right from under our feet. But when you have stars such as Colin Firth, Frieda Pinto, Kristin Davis of ‘Sex And The City’ fame, Rooney Maara and Arab star Amr Waked in the same house despite some moody clouds, it would take no less than a hurricane to make the journalists in the press pen budge. And what a night it was.

The annual black-tie charity gala One Night To Change Lives held in association with Dubai Cares and Oxfam held outdoors against the backdrop of a towering Burj Khalifa and the magnificent fountains at Armani Hotel Dubai lived up to its lucrative reputation.

The stars joined forces and raised a whopping $542,000 (Dh1,990,386) in less than three hours of relentless but highly entertaining bidding. This year’s collection may not have surpassed last year’s $1 million mark, but it’s never easy to put a price to an evening that saw Firth impulsively auctioning off his Paul Smith “guilt-free” organic tuxedo or Frieda Pinto teasing the bidders to unzip their wallets to take home her strapless red Valentino gown that she was wearing for the night.

READ MORE: http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/tabloid/stars-raise-542-000-for-charity-in-dubai-1.1118885