03 Dec 2025
Friends star Courteney Cox has gifted a YSL bag from her personal collection to complement Harpenden charity campaigner Caroline Jones’ second hand wardrobe.
The pair have also collaborated on a social post together in which the Hollywood actor throws the black bag “across the pond”, after sharing it had appeared at “quite a few events” over the years.
Caroline, 57, who works for a creative agency, said: “It goes without saying that when Courteney asked to be involved, I jumped at the opportunity – it was a pinch-me moment filming our skit together. It’s almost like a dream to be incorporating her beloved YSL bag into my second-hand outfit.”
Caroline first made headlines 10 years ago for her original challenge, Knickers Model’s Own, in which she wore a different charity shop outfit every day for a year.
The fundraiser was in honour of Caroline’s late mother, Mary Benson, who passed away in October 2014 at the age of 72 after living with breast cancer for 12 years. Mary was a long-serving volunteer at their local Cancer Research UK shop in Harpenden, and Caroline took over her shift when her mother’s health worsened.
To celebrate Mary’s love of fashion, the following New Year’s Eve Caroline posted her first outfit on Facebook, inadvertently setting off a second career as stylist, fundraising pioneer, author, and host of her own podcast series celebrating the achievements of various other innovative philanthropists.
“The shop and the charity meant so much to my mum and it’s in her memory that that the ‘Knickers Model’s Own’ campaign was born,” Caroline explained. “It helped me through my grief, as well as shared my passion for styling second-hand with the world. The generosity of every single donor was extraordinary – and I felt the love and kindness of the community around me, spurring me on.”
To mark a decade since the campaign, which raised £69,000, Caroline entered 2025 committing to another year of second-hand styling and, in a bid to raise even more awareness of her cause, she has organised a free prize draw whereby donors to her latest JustGiving page are in with a chance to win the Friends star’s designer handbag.
Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at JustGiving, said: “Ten years ago, Caroline captured the nation’s heart with her Knickers Model’s Own campaign – a bold challenge that raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity in memory of her mum. A decade on, she’s doing it all over again.
“This time, her fundraising efforts have drawn the support of one of TV’s most recognisable stars – a true testament to the incredible work Caroline continues to do.”
Caroline added: “Since my first challenge, too many close friends and family have suffered with cancer. That’s why I chose to mark 10 years since my original challenge by taking on a second attempt. It goes without saying that my knickers are still very much my own.”
To donate to Caroline’s latest fundraiser, view her JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/page/courteney-cox-YSL. To keep up with Caroline’s challenge, follow @knickers_models_own.
