“Ho, ho, ho,” cheered a seemingly jolly Ben Affleck at Cartier’s Fifth Avenue flagship on Wednesday at 8:30 am. Affleck joined Rachel Bilson — clad in a Rizer Goodwin black shift, cherry-red Christian Louboutin pumps and Cartier jewels — Cartier North America president and chief executive officer Frédéric de Narp and Santa Claus to kick of the holiday season. While the iconic giant red ribbon won’t envelop the store this year, as the mansion is under renovations, holiday decorations abound with a makeshift enchanted forest wittily covering the scaffolding in front of the store. The actors came to support The Art of Elysium, a charity that encourages working actors, artists and musicians to dedicate their time to children who are battling serious medical conditions. The foundationprovides artistic workshops for the kids.
After Bilson, Affleck and de Narp had their photo-op and a gander at the jewelry, they headed upstairs to an arts and crafts workshop where several celebrity-unfazed kids delightfully colored and glued Cartier holiday cards. All of the proceeds for the cards will go to The Art of Elysium. “It’s a message of love and hope to the children,” said de Narp.
But charity aside, Affleck’s wife Jennifer Garner may be in for one impressive Christmas gift. Or will she? “As soon as this is over I’m going to buy that,” he said of a diamond-drenched necklace. “It would look good on me.”