Taking pride in our man-bags

David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have them. Will Young danced around his. Even former Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair has been seen out strolling with one.

But despite their increasing visibility, the man-bag is still regarded with deep suspicion by many men.

Now a charity for prostate cancer victims is hoping to propel the accessory into the masculine mainstream with an online auction of up to 40 man-bags designed by celebrities. Stars ranging from the line-ups of Coldplay and Spandau Ballet to comedian Ricky Gervais, model Twiggy and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand have personalised the canvas flaps of bags from manbagcompany.com.

Their designs will be sold by auction on eBay on 24 June with all proceeds going to The Prostate Cancer Charity. Company founder Bain Ellisdon, whose stepfather died of the disease, hopes the auction will help overturn stereotypes about man-bags.

"People still think of those awful little French clutch bags with a loop around the wrist that many European men used to carry, but the man-bag has moved on so much since then," she said.

Some were designed by victims of the disease, which kills one man every hour in Britain.

Sufferer David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, created a striking image of the Sith Lord from layers of dark appliqued fabric, and signed it in character. DJ Neil "Dr" Fox, whose father died of prostate cancer in 2001 aged 76, persuaded his children to help apply glitter and sequins to make a picture of a man surrounded by hearts and watched over by the sun.

Gervais, a supporter of the charity, used bright pink crayons and marker pens to create a cartoon Flanimal inspired by his series of children's books about fictitious creatures.

Members of Spandau Ballet simply signed their bag - in the Groucho Club on the day the band announced they were reforming, potentially increasing the bag's value to collectors.