BRAVE NEW WORLD

The next gen of designers who pay as much attention to being responsible as much as owning a distinct, directional aesthetic.

THIS IS A REPORT ABOUT HOW SOME OF FASHION’S BIGGEST BRANDS ARE PRACTISING CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, OR CSR FOR SHORT. NOW DON’T CLOSE THE BOOK YET. SURE, IT’S NOT THE MOST EXCITING THING – SOME SPIEL ABOUT HOW A BRAND IS DOING ITS PART FOR SOCIETY, COMMUNITY OR THE ENVIRONMENT, COUPLED WITH SOME VANILLALOOKING IMAGES (NOTICE THERE ARE NONE HERE?). BUT THIS IS 2018: A YEAR THAT’S WITNESSED RECORD-BREAKING WEATHER, AN INEXPLICABLE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC WASTE, THE #METOO PARIAH THAT’S HARVEY WEINSTEIN, AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER MAJOR CONCERNS – AS WELL AS A MILLENNIAL GENERATION UNAFRAID TO CONFRONT THEM. IF YOU AREN’T INTO CSR, YOU SNOOZE. AILEEN LALOR SUMS UP THE LONG-TERM INITIATIVES OF 10 LABELS WITH A DIFFERENCE.

BLANCPAIN & ITS “OCEAN’S AID”

THE SWISS HOROLOGY HOUSE DEVELOPED ONE OF THE FIRST DIVING WATCHES BACK IN THE ’50S, SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT ITS CSR EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING THE HEALTH OF THE OCEAN. IT FOUNDED THE WORLD OCEAN SUMMIT, AN ANNUAL MEETING TO DISCUSS HOW WE USE AND PROTECT OUR SEAS. IT ALSO HAS THE OCEAN COMMITMENT, A CHARITY THAT FUNDS MAJOR SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITIONS, AND DONATES €1,000 (S$1,590) FROM EVERY SALE OF A SPECIAL EDITION OF ITS SIGNATURE BATHYSCAPHE CHRONOGRAPH TO IT. BREGUET’S TRAVELLING LAB THE BRAND HAS TEAMED UP WITH THE RACE FOR WATER FOUNDATION – AN ORGANISATION DEDICATED TO WATER PRESERVATION – TO EMBARK ON A VESSEL RIDE AROUND THE WORLD TO FURTHER RESEARCH ON TRANSFORMING PLASTIC WASTE INTO ENERGY. THE JOURNEY, WHICH KICKED OFF LAST YEAR, WILL MAKE 35 STOPS AND BE COMPLETED IN 2021. BURBERRY’S “ONE DIRECTION” ONE PER CENT MIGHT NOT SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT IN RELATION TO THE PRE-TAX PROFITS OF THE BRIT FASHION GIANT, THAT TRANSLATES TO MILLIONS – ALL GOING TO CHARITABLE CAUSES INCLUDING THE DECADE-OLD BURBERRY FOUNDATION. WHAT THE LATTER’S CURRENTLY FUNDING: A ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART INITIATIVE TO STUDY SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS; A PROGRAMME THAT SUPPORTS YOUNG PEOPLE IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES IN THE UK; AND ANOTHER THAT RECYCLES LEATHER CUT-OFFS FROM THE LABEL’S PRODUCTION INTO ACCESSORIES. CARTIER MAKING LIKE BEYONCE WHO RUNS THE WORLD? GIRLS, IF THE JEWELLER HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. SINCE 2006, THE CARTIER WOMEN’S INITIATIVE AWARDS PRESENTS FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS WITH CASH PRIZES TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESSES THAT CREATE A STRONG SOCIAL IMPACT: FROM DEVELOPING A TACTILE TABLET FOR THE BLIND, TO AN ONLINE BLOOD BANK. THE STAKES RISE NEXT YEAR WHEN IT EXPANDS TO SEVEN REGIONS, AND WILL GIVE SEVEN WOMEN (UP FROM SIX) US$100,000 (S$136,000) EACH, AND THE REMAINING 14 FINALISTS (UP FROM 12) US$30,000 (S$41,100) EACH. CHANEL NURTURING MORE COCOS TO HELP WOMEN FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ITS OG OF A FEARLESS FEMALE FOUNDER, THE BRAND SET UP FONDATION CHANEL IN 2011 TO FUND DOZENS OF DIVERSE PROJECTS TO EMPOWER WOMEN. OUR PICK? A PROJECT IN IRAQ, MOROCCO AND YEMEN THAT USES ANIMATION TO TEACH GIRLS AND WOMEN ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS.

GUCCI’S “SOCIAL” PORTAL LAUNCHED ON JUNE 5 – WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY – EQUILIBRIUM IS THE LABEL’S ONE-STOP WEBSITE ABOUT ALL OF ITS CSR INITIATIVES (COMPLETE WITH FUN VISUALS TYPICAL OF THE BRAND – WHEW!). IT’S WHERE WE LEARNT THAT IT ALLOWS EMPLOYEES TO DEVOTE ONE PER CENT OF THEIR WORKING TIME TO VOLUNTEERING. THERE’S ALSO ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NON-PROFIT ARTOLUTION THAT GETS REFUGEES TO CREATE PUBLIC MURALS AS A FORM OF THERAPY AND SELF-EXPRESSION. FOR STARTERS: ARTOLUTION TOOK OVER GUCCI’S MURAL SPACES IN NEW YORK, LONDON, MILAN, HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI ON WORLD REFUGEE DAY IN JUNE. HERMES FILMS IT ALL DOWN

TRUST THE ARTISTIC FRENCH LUXURY MAISON TO DOCUMENT ALL OF ITS SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY BUILDING EFFORTS INTO A SERIES OF SHORT FILMS BY THE AWARD-WINNING FREDERIC LAFFONT, KNOWN FOR HIS HUMANISTIC EYE. AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING ON ITS WEBSITE, THE PROJECT – DUBBED

WORLD – DEPICTS THE DIVERSE FOLKS INCLUDED IN THE HERMES UNIVERSE, FROM PEOPLE WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES MAKING RIDING CROPS FOR THE BRAND, TO A PROJECT THAT TEACHES THOSE IN BURKINA FASO HOW TO MAKE FUEL-EFFICIENT, NON-POLLUTING STOVES. LONGINES’ ALL-STAR EFFORTS

THE BRAND’S A SPONSOR OF THE FRENCH OPEN, SO IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT IT WORKS CLOSELY WITH AMBASSADORS (AND EX-PROS) ANDRE AGASSI AND STEFANIE GRAF ON A NUMBER OF CHARITY PROJECTS. THESE INCLUDE THE CHILDREN FOR TOMORROW FOUNDATION, WHICH HELPS KIDS WHO’VE SUFFERED THE TRAUMA OF WAR OR PERSECUTION, AND THE ANDRE AGASSI FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION, DEDICATED TO TRANSFORMING EDUCATION IN THE UK. BEYOND THE COURTS, IT’S WORKING WITH KATE WINSLET ON THE GOLDEN HAT FOUNDATION, HER CHARITY TO SUPPORT THOSE WITH AUTISM. TIFFANY & CO. GOES FOR THE GOLD STANDARD

THE US FINE JEWELLER HAS DONE A LOT TO COUNTER ITS INDUSTRY’S REPUTATION FOR EXPLOITING PEOPLE AND PLACES, MAKING ITS SUPPLY CHAIN TRANSPARENT AND COMMITTING TO RESPONSIBLE SOURCING. ITS FAMOUS BLUE BOXES ARE MADE FROM 80 PER CENT RECYCLED MATERIALS, AND THE BRAND HAS PLEDGED TO ACHIEVE NET-ZERO GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS BY 2050. PLUS, IN SOME COUNTRIES (THOUGH NOT IN SINGAPORE – YET ), YOU CAN BUY PRODUCTS FROM THE SAVE THE WILD COLLECTION, WHERE 100 PER CENT OF PROFITS GO TOWARDS SUPPORTING ENDANGERED SPECIES IN AFRICA.