Elton clothes sale raises almost €600,000

A sale of haute-couture clothes belonging to Elton John has raised more than $700,000 (€570,300) for the singer's Aids charity.

Approximately 10,000 pieces were put forward for the five-day sale in New York, which ended on Friday.

Among them was a polka-dot suit designed by Richard James, which the singer wore while dueting with Eminem at the Grammy Awards in 2001. There were also outfits from designers such as Versace and Louis Vuitton.

Elton's partner, David Furnish, also contributed some of his clothes to the specially-created shop, Elton's Closet, at New York's Rockefeller Center. The money generated by the sale, which has become an annual event, will be given to the Elton John Aids Foundation.