Christie’s of London is one of the world’s leading auction houses. Specializing in auctions for old and contemporary art, furniture, jewelry and even real estate Christie’s has locations all over the world and has been around ever since the 1700′s! This past month Christie’s was part of a special “green auction” event called “A Bid to Save the Earth“. This fundraiser, in partnership with the Runway to Green program, aims to raise money and awareness for a few environmental organizations including the Alliance for Climate Protection, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the United Nations Environment Programme’s Billion Tree Campaign.

For the “Runway to Green” collection, twenty four of the most popular fashion designers in the world were chosen to create an individual item of clothing that integrates a greener production method. Some of these international designers include Prada, Gucci, Stella McCartney, YSL, Jason Wu, Marchesa, Thakoon, and many more. These pieces will be available online exclusively at NET-A-PORTER on March 29, 2011.

A few items featured in the collection can be seen in the image below: a patchwork wool and alpaca sweater dress by Stella McCartney, a Marni paillette-embellished wool-felt tote (featuring recycled plastic paillettes) and Marni wool-felt wedges. By having these high-end luxury items with a conscience available on NET-A-PORTER, they can be readily available to be purchased online in over 170 countries around the world, providing a global reach and awareness for this cause.

Portions of each sale will be donated to the environmental organizations listed in the first paragraph, In being a part of this event, Christie’s is stepping up it’s reputation as a philanthropist and helping to spread the importance of raising environmental awareness in the fashion industry and beyond. You can learn more about the Runway to Green program on their website, and read about the Christie’s Green Auction events here.