ModaVIE 2016

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PRINCESS AMEERA AL-TAWEEL AL-OTAIBI SAUDI ARABIA

LIVIA FIRTH FOUNDER, GREEN CARPET CHALLENGE

GERY KESZLER FOUNDER, AIDS LIFE and LIFE BALL , and BILL CLINTON FORMER, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

THIS IS F4D IN REAL TIME Leading the way of new innovations is at the core of Fashion 4 Development. F4D TV and Media Group is the digital platform launched to profile the efforts of F4D and those engaged in strategic solutions for global social change across all sectors. Showcasing examples of groundbreaking work, our coverage targets an international audience with a mission to inspire action.

VISIT F4DTV.COM TO VIEW RECENT COVERAGE AND SUBMIT VIDEOS FOR CONSIDERATION. 2

THE LUNCHEON

Fashion 4 Development’s 6th Annual Official

FIRST LADIES LUNCHEON In the presence of Heads of State, Heads of Government and First Ladies during the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2016

THE PIERRE HOTEL Fifth Avenue & 61ST Street, New York City 11:30AM – 2:30PM THE FIRST LADIES HAUTE COUTURE RUNWAY BY

Ralph & Russo

Honored guest

MADAM BAN SOON-TAEK First Lady of the United Nations

Honorees MEDAL OF HONOR

MADAM BAN SOON-TAEK First Lady of the United Nations

LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN AWARD

PAUL POLMAN CEO, Unilever

ECO AWARD

SUZY AMIS CAMERON Executive Director of Food Choice Taskforce and Environment Activist

FASHION 4 DEVELOPMENT AWARD

ANNIE LENNOX Singer, Songwriter, and Political Activist

WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S CHAMPION AWARD

NATALIA VODIANOVA

GOLDEN HEART AWARD

PETRA NEMCOVA

Model, Philanthropist

Model, Television Host, and Philanthropist

EDUCATION & CREATIVITY AWARD

NADJA SWAROVSKI Executive Board Member, Swarovski

Hosted by

EVIE EVANGELOU

FRANCA SOZZANI

President and Founder,

Goodwill Ambassador, Fashion 4 Development

Fashion 4 Development

Editor-in-Chief, Vogue Italia

LIVIA FIRTH

OAFLA

Creative Director, Eco Age Ltd

Organization of African First Ladies

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Fashion 4 Development

G IV ING BACK IS T H E N EW L U X U RY

EVIE EVANGELOU President & Founder, Fashion 4 Development Photography by FADIL BERISHA 1

VISION

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ision

I always love the Fall…it’s a time of change, reflected through end of year holiday preparations, family gatherings and celebrations, the crispness of the air and shift in seasons as the brilliance of the autumn foliage blankets our path – all signifying transition and a poignant reminder that a new year is encroaching. It’s also a time to take stock of our journey and accomplishments through the preceding months, which brings me to another reason this season is of special import: our annual Luncheon and honoring extraordinary acts of altruism. As with every year, each honoree has contributed in substantial ways to curing, nurturing or eradicating what ails our planet, and their actions merit recognition far beyond today.

With F4D’s founding principles (the 4 E’s) as our compass that charts both our course and accomplishments, we strive to engage individuals and initiatives that educate, empower, enhance and enrich the lives of the countless underserved across the globe.

Each year, employing the “4 E’s” with esteemed partner, Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief and F4D Goodwill Ambassador, Franca Sozzani, our efforts converge with outstanding individuals and organizations that span a multitude of issues, and over the last year, that journey continued. And while our advancement measurements have been noteworthy, there were a handful of special projects we championed, which among others, included the protection and conservation of Mother Earth as a critical item on our agenda.

What’s little or widely known, is just what each of us can do to contribute to building that wellness, both individually and collectively. It is an obligation for which we all share ownership and when delving more deeply into understanding the mass daily consumption that’s destroying the richness bestowed on us, it is my greatest hope that we all will do our part to ensure the beauty of this benevolent place that’s cared for us and will continue to do so for generations to come – but this can only be manifest if we adjust our thinking, and actions.

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To that end, I’m privileged to share that among our many highlights, through our ongoing, robust partnership with Sustainia – part of the leading Scandinavian think tank, Monday Morning – we launched Sustainia Living – a fashionable lifestyle options charter which was developed to communicate with and excite people on the virtues of sustainability, encompassing food, fashion and overall lifestyle. Our primary goal in launching this initiative is to inspire and motivate individuals to be conscious consumers, to develop conscious business brands and to adopt conscious business practices.

The concept was both shared during my presentation at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit this year, and well received by the attendees whose focus is responsible innovation.

Magazine. The event also marked the formal announcement of Ms. Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi as F4D’s Special Envoy for Human Rights.

And of particular note for me and an essential complement to our mission, is the announcment of the official inauguration of ModaCARES Foundation, which offers a fashion mentoring program established under the Fashion 4 Development umbrella. The Foundation’s platform aims to support the next generation of talented fashion designers who are not only required to illustrate promise in the design arena, but must endeavor to fulfil one or more of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which incorporates some aspect of the “4 E’s.” Designers will receive 10 months of mentoring by established designers, industry executives and financial experts. These veterans will work to harness their capacity to increase visibility and establish a sustainable business in the fashion industry; further they will evaluate opportunity for jobs creation and economic development.

In June, we hosted our first Sustainia Living Reception, in partnership with UN Global Compact, at the UN Delegates dining room, which was a fully interactive experience. During this post-conference event, participants wandered through a makeshift forest with stilt-walking trees reminiscent of the ENTS from Lord of the Rings, models donning eco-friendly fashions, while enjoying delicious, organic, vegan (lowcarbon) treats and wines. Esteemed presenters who joined me to address the key benefits for sustainable living were Chef Chloe, activist/entrepreneur Suzy Amis Cameron, and Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy.

As an organization founded and dependent on selfless acts of kindness, caring, heroism and courage, there are countless efforts from our many partners and collaborators that are worthy of accolades, in addition to those mentioned here… including those of everyone present today. And for all of your contributions, my respect and gratitude are simply immeasurable. As we continue to near

Additionally, other mentionable achievements included the launch of the Leading Ladies Luncheons in November, which convened influential women from diplomatic, political, academic, business, philanthropic and entertainment spheres around key global issues. Hosted in partnership with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the St Regis Hotel in New York City, we were privileged to be joined by Deb Dugan, Chief Executive Officer of (RED); Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of NYC Mayor’s Office For International Affairs; Madam Ban Soon-Taek, First Lady of the United Nations; Shiza Shahid, co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund, and Genevieve Roth, Special Projects for Glamour

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VISION

dire times that require nothing short of action, I would encourage us all to evoke the spirits of those pioneers on whose shoulders we’ve proudly stood when the goal seemed insurmountable – the suffragists, inventors, female legislators/leaders, civil rights activists and every individual fighting for change. It’s all possible and our unified hearts have already won – it’s the evolution and revolution of our collective souls in action that will shift our paradigm and I urge us all to keep the good fight in motion.

There is no higher calling than to serve in sister and brotherhood to create the world we want to see, and I’m honored to share this space with you all.

I again extend my humble thanks for your generous and continued support and for making this an unforgettable journey.

Warmest wishes, The Vision F4D THE WAY FORWARD

President and Founder, F4D

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VISION

F4 D GLOB AL I NI TI ATI VES AFGHANISTAN

INDIA

AUSTRIA

INDONESIA

BANGLADESH

KENYA

BOTSWANA

NIGERIA

BRAZIL

PHILIPPINES

BURKINA FASO

SAUDI ARABIA

CHINA

SENEGAL

EGYPT

SOUTH KOREA

ETHIOPIA

TUNISIA

GHANA

UGANDA

GUATEMALA

USA

HONG KONG

VIETNAM

KEY PRODUCTION, TRADE

PROMOTION

HEALTH

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SKILLS TRAINING

EDUCATION

CREDITS

PUBLISHER

F4D MEDIA GROUP

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EVIE EVANGELOU

SENIOR ADVISOR, SPECIAL PROJECTS

KELLY DARR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & BRAND STRATEGIST

KATHY RUIZ

CONTRIBUTORS

JULIA CHANCE, NAILA CHOWDHURY, CORYNNE CORBETT, KELLY DARR, PROF. VALTER LONGO, SHARON PENDANA, SHANTELL RICHARDSON, RUTH SUTHCLIFFE, ROBB YOUNG

ADVERSTISING SALES AND ALL OTHER INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:

MERCEDES ALAGNA INFO@FASHION-4-DEVELOPMENT.COM 212 327 3338

ON COVER Design by RALPH & RUSSO COVER and BACK PHOTOGRAPHY FADIL BERISHA

COPYRIGHT MODAVIE 2016 Printing by EarthColor, all rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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LEADING LADIES

L U N C H E O N ALFRE WOODARD attending F4D’s Leading Ladies Luncheon

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n the heels of the success of F4D’s First Ladies Luncheon, presented annually during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, F4D has proudly launched a series of Leading Ladies Luncheons to convene influential women from diplomatic, political, academic, business, philanthropic and entertainment sectors to address key global issues. The inaugural event, hosted on November 10, 2015 at New York’s eminent St Regis Hotel, partnered with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The event also marked the formal announcement of Ms. Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi as F4D’s Special Envoy for Human Rights.

F4D’s Leading Ladies Luncheon aims to raise awareness for the devastating and disproportionate impact of HIV on women and girls. The intimate gathering united influential female figures committed to making a difference in the lives of women and girls affected by HIV, through an exchange of creative ideas.

Globally, HIV is the leading cause of death and disease among women of reproductive age worldwide and alarmingly, in the hardest hit countries, girls account for more than 80 percent of all new infections among adolescents.

While major advances have been made against the disease, ending the AIDS epidemic for good requires a stronger focus on one of the major drivers – gender inequality.

Honorary guests at the luncheons will receive special recognition during the event. Participants will also have the opportunity to voice their support for women and girls by joining high profile stakeholders in discussion about advancement issues, and contributing short filmed statements of support during these events. Among those in attendance at this inaugural event were Deb Dugan, Chief Executive Officer of (RED); Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of NYC Mayor’s Office For International Affairs; Madam Ban Soon-Taek, First Lady of the United Nations; Shiza Shahid, co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund, and Genevieve Roth, Special Projects for Glamour Magazine.

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ABOUT F4D

BEATRICE BORROMEO CASIRAGHI named F4D’s Special Envoy for Human Rights at Leading Ladies Luncheon , November 2015

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ABOUT F4D

BEVERLY JOHNSON and EVIE EVANGELOU

ABOUT THE GLOBAL FUND The Global Fund raises and invests nearly $4 billion USD a year to support programs designed to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, as epidemics, saving millions of lives every year. In September 2015, the Global Fund launched “End It. For Good�, a campaign to support its 5th round of funding. Central to the campaign is a call for the world to unite efforts for a better, healthier future for women and girls around the world.

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ABOUT F4D

MODACARES THE FOUNDATION FOR FASHION 4 DEVELOPMENT

Where Giving Back is the New Luxury As a natural complement to Fashion 4 Development’s mission and tag line, Giving Back is the New Luxury, we celebrated the launch of our nonprofit arm, the ModaCARES Foundation, which was conceived as a platform to support emerging fashion designers from around the world. The Foundation aims to support the next generation of talented designers who are required to demonstrate outstanding vision and fulfill one or more of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, such as gender equality and sound environmental practices. Designers will receive 10 months of mentoring by established designers, industry executives and financial experts. These veterans will work to harness the designer’s capacity to increase visibility and establish a sustainable business in the fashion industry, as well as organize special events to generate visibility around the brand.

In February of this year, F4D proudly announced that Caterina Occhio, founder and creative director of SeeMe, will be the first designer to be mentored and supported by ModaCARES. SeeMe is the first certified fair trade luxury brand conceived by Italian designer Caterina Occhio, to improve the lives of women who have been victims of violence. It employs women, usually single mothers, who have been shunned by their patriarchal societies and are unable to provide for essential needs upon leaving their shelter homes. Through training programs that often result in employment, these women are empowered to sustain their lives. With a key focus on Tunisia and Turkey, the enterprise also strives to positively influence the established brands in the fashion arena, and to inspire an ethical approach to their sourcing practices.

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ABOUT F4D

about SeeMe SeeMe is a fair trade certified luxury brand enterprise that strives to improve the lives of women who have been victims of violence. The brand was founded in 2013 by Caterina Occhio, a former development aid manager with over 15 years of experience working with several EU and UN agencies. SeeMe produces heart shaped jewelry and accessories and provides ethical sourcing for other fashion brands. The ethical brand has collaborated with worldwide, renowned fashion brands such as Karl Lagerfeld, for whom it created a beautiful capsule collection, as well as with Missoni and Tommy Hilfiger for the latest Spring Summer collections, producing handmade crocheted trims for the former and star shaped necklaces for the latter. SeeMe collections are available online and at select international boutiques and department stores such as Colette, Galeries Lafayette, Joyce HK and Luisa Via Roma. For more information, visit http://seeme.org

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ABOUT F4D

U N S U S TA I N A B L E D E 1)

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

3)

Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all

4)

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5)

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6)

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7)

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8)

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all

9)

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation

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ABOUT F4D

VELOPMENT GOALS 10)

Reduce inequality within and among countries

11)

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12)

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13)

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14)

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss

16)

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

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Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

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JOIN US F4D PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Fashion 4 Development offers many opportunities to partner, support and participate

FIRST LADIES ANNUAL LUNCHEON, NEW YORK FIRST LADIES ANNUAL LUNCHEON, LIFE BALL IN VIENNA Individual and Corporate Sponsorships

LEADING LADIES LUNCHEON SERIES Individual and Corporate Sponsorships

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Specialized Product Branding Partnerships, Including Tailored Benefits

LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN Exclusive Men’s Club supporting F4D

MODACARES FOUNDATION Become a Patron, Support Design Talent, Create Jobs

SPOKESPERSON As a Celebrity or High-profile Personality, Partner with F4D Support F4D Social Responsibility Programs and Awareness Campaigns

CONTENT, MARKETING AND ADVERTISING Get Involved with the F4D TV and Media Group

F4D LIFESTYLE BRAND Innovative Partnership Opportunities

CONTACT US 212.327.3338 info@fashion-4-development.com

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Leading

LADIES Leading Ladies are influential women from diplomatic, political, academic, business, philanthropic and enter tainment spheres who suppor t positive social change around key global issues.

MARGARET THATCHER, Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and INDIRA GANDHI, Former Prime Minister of India 17

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LEADING LADIES

INDIRA GANDHI FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA

BY ROBB YOUNG the Indian public expected nothing less than ascetic decorum from their leader.

In a bungalow in downtown New Delhi, an orange sari sits on a block of marble. Bullet holes pepper the handwoven khadi fabric marked by rusty-brown bloodstains. The coarse cotton cloth is folded accordion style, displaying its black geometric border.

Near by are a pair of sandals and a limp satchel bag. This is where Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, and these plain items are the outfit she was wearing.

Ruling intermittently for nearly two decades, Indira Gandhi was the biggest personality of contemporary Indian politics. She became president of the Indian National Congress (INC) party in 1959 and prime minister in 1966. Her tenure was a tumultuous one, some say authoritarian. She went to war with Pakistan; initiated India’s nuclear programme; nationalized the banks; declared a crippling state of emergency; made enemies easily; was arrested for corruption; had a spectacular comeback; and, after her murder, was celebrated as a martyr.

Gandhi had worn saris made of khadi for decades.

As the daughter and wife of leading figures of the independence movement, it was expected of her.

Homespun khadi had been an integral part of the Swadeshi movement, which encouraged Indians to weave their own cloth as a form of economic empowerment and self-determination to oppose British colonial rule. To this day, it is enshrined in the national identity: by law, the Indian flag must be made of khadi.

In subdued organic hues or black and white, the humble fabric took on a dignified quality on Mrs Gandhi. When she wore it decorated, it was in rational geometric patterns; her choli blouses matched the colour of her saris, or the contrasting colour of the sari border. Without the bright chintz prints or brocade borders often found in saris made from softer silk or georgette, her starched silhouette was sturdier, and so was her message. Gandhi’s signature short haircut appeared practical and resilient, but, in such a traditional society, it also appeared defiant and distant. She could be glamorous – in delicate evening saris or fur stoles and fabrics trimmed with shimmering gold – but only abroad or with dignitaries behind closed doors. Her political peers and opponents and

Gandhi’s dress sense would become the bench mark for women in the INC party for years to come, and her understated look has had an impact on women politicians’ dress across party lines. Her daughterin-law Sonia Gandhi, the later president of the INC party, and more recently her granddaughter Priyanka Vadra, Sonia’s then campaign manager, both adhered to her tasteful dress code at political events. As did Indira, Sonia Gandhi often chooses regional textile patterns and weaves that are native to the state she is visiting, such as ikat in Orissa.

Although the direction of Gandhi’s style was laid out for her by the values placed on khadi by her political party, making the rustic fabric elegant and stately was her own achievement. More importantly, she created a populist stencil for her political heirs to follow and a lasting fashion legacy for Indian women leaders to copy, confront and contest.

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LEADING LADIES

MARGARET THATCHER

FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

BY ROBB YOUNG and from such then-popular upmarket boutique labels as Mansfield, Jean Muir and Susan Small – chosen partly in recognition of the growing achievements of the British fashion industry. She was generally thrifty with her wardrobe but did indulge in pricier out fits, mirroring the two worlds she straddled: a humble up bringing in her father’s sparing household and an affluent married life with oil executive Denis Thatcher.

She was always willing to talk fashion. A director of Aquascutum, Margaret King, who chose a fur hat and coat Thatcher wore on a state visit to Moscow, recalled: ‘When she came back to London she rang me within two hours to say the clothes and coat were sensational.’

She governed Britain for a decade and came to embody the style of her times, standing out as a rare politician among such popular culture references of the 1980s as Boy George, Madonna, the cast of Dynasty and the Versace and Armani labels. During her three terms as prime minister, Margaret Thatcher became arguably the most powerful woman in the world, and it was her take on power dressing that became a key template for women rising in the political and professional ranks.

The divisive Conservative politician eschewed the excessive shoulder pads and manly suits that were paraded down the catwalks and worn by younger career women, exuding instead both a prim severity and a supercharged domestic femininity. Thatcher was famous for being flawlessly turned out no matter what the circumstances; in 1984, for instance, after the bombing by the IRA of the Brighton hotel where she and her ministers were staying, while being escorted out of the rubble at 3 am (she had been working and was still dressed) she returned to get a change of clothes for the next day. Immaculately tailored skirt suits were a favourite, often in commanding shades of blue or steely grey or in houndstooth check, worn with pussycat-bow blouses, milky pearls and court heels. Despite her indestructible bouffant hairdo, the Iron Lady’s armour could be soft and supple: in the early years wispy printed dresses helped her spar with political adversaries, and diaphanous eveningwear made more than one appearance.

The prime minister’s little Salvatore Ferragamo handbag, a repository of lipstick and speech cue cards, became the stuff of popular legend after Thatcher reportedly slammed it on to the table at a European Economic Community (EEC) summit in 1984, at which she demanded a £1 billion rebate from British contributions made to the EEC budget.

It gave new meaning to a comment once made by Thatcher’s long-time personal assistant and style adviser, Cynthia Crawford: ‘We always have half a dozen [bags] on the go. They get quite a bashing.’

The Oxford English Dictionary credits the coining of the verb ‘to handbag’ as being a humorous reference to Thatcher’s relentless ministerial style. In 2000 Thatcher donated one of her handbags to an online charity auction, and it sold for £100,000. She later made the statement, ‘My handbags did good service in Cabinet and I am pleased they are still having the right effect.’

Thatcher bought her clothes in bulk shopping trips from well-known British companies – both on the high street

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AGENTS of CHANGE Agents of Change are global influencers who work in partnership with F4D and on their own on initiatives that EDUCATE, EMPOWER, ENHANCE, and ENRICH LIVES in communities around the world.

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SUZY AMIS CAMERON SUSTAINABILITY FOR A NEW AGE AND GENERATIONS TO COME

BY SHARON PENDANA

Photography by BRANDON HiCkMAN 25

PEOPLE

Suzy Amis Cameron has always been a dreamer, but what sets her apart is her capacity to achieve those dreams through action. From a small town girl in Oklahoma City to the bright lights of Hollywood and the world stage, to staunch environmental activist, her drive, ambition and earnest desire for affecting change have always served as core principles that both directed and fostered an unimaginable life. And while those principles would be the sustenance to fuel her throughout her experiences, it was her statuesque and radiant beauty that set her star ablaze when, as a teenager, she was added to the prestigious roster of legendary New York model agent Eileen Ford, who presented her as “The Face of the Eighties.” Ultimately, the 1990’s set the stage for Suzy Amis Cameron as an actor, wife, mom and activist, determined to “CREATE THE WORLD WE WANT TO LIVE IN.”

After years of modeling in Paris, she returned to the States and pursued a career in acting. Upon being cast in the mega-hit film Titanic in 1997, she met the man she would later marry (in 2000) – celebrated, award-winning director James Cameron.

And during their life together, she established and embraced a passionate advocacy of sustainable values which encompassed virtues that assessed everything “from what we wear, to how we teach our children, to the food we eat.”

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As devoted parents to five beautiful children (two from previous marriages and three together), it unsettled them to experience that the traditional values subscribed within the school system were “squashing their spirits.” Consequently she, along with her sister Rebecca Amis, founded the alternative, Reggio-inspired MUSE School, that offers individualized, passion-based learning and sustainability programs for ages 2.5 through grade 12.

In viewing the life-changing documentary Forks Over Knives on the profound power of plant-based diets for personal and planetary health, the couple committed to major dietary shifts to stem the tide of destruction from animal agriculture. “Bring more vegetables to your homes and communities,” she implores.

The rampant waste in the fashion industry is also a target of her activism, and through her Red Carpet Green Dress, she champions socially and environmentally responsible fashion.

Her acting days behind her, she now devotes all of her energy to raising her vibrant Cameron clan and awareness of eco-friendly, sustainable living to save our endangered planet. Suzyamiscameron.com is a wellspring of information, keeping the important dialogue going.

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PEOPLE

EVERYTHING I DO IS ABOUT MAKING A BETTER WORLD FOR OUR CHILDREN

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SUZY and her sister REBECCA AMIS with MUSE students.

TELL US ABOUT LIFE GROWING UP AND WHAT YOU ASPIRED TO DO.

AS A MODEL/ACTRESS/ENTREPRENEUR, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TRANSITION FROM ENTERTAINMENT AND FOCUS ON IDEALS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING?

“I grew up in a big family in a small town in Oklahoma.

I loved riding horses, and my father taught me to fly when I was 15, so I dreamed of being a flying equine veterinarian. It was because I needed to earn money for a new saddle for my horse that I began to do some local modeling. Little did I know that would change the course of my life. Next thing I knew, I was in Eileen Ford’s office in New York City, and then on The Merv Griffin Show, and then living in Paris, modeling. All at 17!”

“My transitions were more like radical 180 degree shifts.

I decided in one day to quit modeling and start studying with the best acting coach I could find. When I met Jim, I didn’t transition from acting, I just quit, no looking back.

I knew that having two people in the business simply didn’t work; plus, I had lived out of a suitcase since I was 17, and I was ready to sit still and have a family.

My focus on lessening my footprint was magnified. I went from model to actress, to meeting Jim, to having a family, to starting a school and after watching the documentary, Forks Over Knives, that really woke me up. Jim and I quit eating animals within 24 hours of watching the film. All of the work that I do now incorporates plant-based eating because it’s so much better for the planet and our health.

Everything I do is about making a better world for our children.”

WHEN DO YOU FIRST RECALL BEING DRAWN TO ACTIVISM IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARENA?

“My interest in health and chemical-free living ramped up when I had my first child, Jasper, 26 years ago. Yet it wasn’t until about 10 years ago when I joined the National Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Leadership Council, that I became more active. I had never before been a part of any nonprofit or mission-oriented organization.

Coincidentally, I started MUSE School with my sister Rebecca the same year. As a result, I began thinking in a different way. I was more internally focused before Jasper was born, and thinking about individual change and choice, yet then began to think about the bigger picture. I started to want to externalize and spread everything I was discovering and learning about living consciously with the environment.”

CAN YOU SHARE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MUSE AND WHY HEALTHY LIVING AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EARTH WERE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES?

“My sister, Rebecca Amis, who has a Masters in Early Childhood Education, helped me start MUSE. Our vision from the start was to create a healthy environment where conscious living and action was the norm. We wanted passion-based learning and engagement with the natural world. It has been 29

an amazing journey – talk about growing pains! But we just celebrated our 10 year anniversary, and we have about 200 kids, ranging from 2 years old through high school age... about 120 raised garden beds and a 100% organic plant-based school lunch. The Green Restaurant Association just designated us the greenest restaurant in the world! Most importantly, we have really joyful kids.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO THOSE SEEKING TO EXPAND WHAT YOU’VE ESTABLISHED, IN THEIR OWN LIVES?

“The first step to living consciously with your health and the environment is to look at what you’re putting on your plate.

Buying solar or driving an electric car are great but also can be out of reach for many, so the first thing you can do is focus on whole food, plant-based eating. It is one simple, elegant thing that you can do, starting right now.”

CULTURALLY AND GLOBALLY, WHAT SHIFT IN CONSCIOUSNESS HAVE YOU SEEN OVER THE LAST DECADE IN GREENING INITIATIVES?

“People are becoming very aware of chemicals in foods, GMOs, and antibiotics in beef. In my travels to hotels around the world, I’ve seen changes in water usage, recycling bins everywhere, and overall a raised consciousness of environmental conservation. Electric vehicles, solar electricity – these are now considered the norm in some parts of the world. Four years ago, when Jim and I went plant-based, there was no connection between food and environmental impact and now there are articles daily. Livestock and beef, in particular, has the heaviest footprint on the planet as the number two emitter of greenhouse gasses behind fossil fuels, and in front of all transportation combined. It is also a leading contributor to extinction, deforestation and dead zones in the ocean.

People are beginning to seriously take notice.”

AS FOUNDER OF THE RED CARPET GREEN DRESS, HOW DO ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS FASHION EFFORTS PLAY A ROLE IN OUR GREEN FOOTPRINT?

“The fashion industry is one of the leading polluters and human rights abusers in the world. When Red Carpet Green Dress was launched, I hoped to spark a conversation that went far beyond the red carpet that began with “What are you wearing?” Now that awareness is being raised, we need everyday clothes for people to buy! The market needs to respond, and I’m working on that.”

30 SUZY and REBECCA AMIS under one of the solar flowers, designed by her husband, JAMES CAMERON, that provide 90% of the school’s energy needs.

PEOPLE

Suzy and a MUSE student working in one of 200 garden beds on campus.

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WHAT ARE THE GREATEST CHALLENGES THAT YOU THINK WE FACE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT TODAY, ESPECIALLY IN THE FASHION ARENA?

“If we continue to create a demand for fast fashion, then they’re going to keep creating the supply. We’ve got to transform our “throwaway” mentality, and companies must absolutely be held accountable for the damage they wreak on people and the planet.”

WHO ARE/HAVE BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCERS/ MENTORS AND WHY?

“Eleanor Roosevelt was an extraordinary woman. I so wish I could have met her. My dear friend, actress/artist/ entrepreneur Gloria Stuart, taught me to follow my own instincts; to stay interested, and interesting. She also cherished the small details in life; every little, sacred thing.

From Lauren Bacall, my former mother-in-law, I learned to wear very simple, clean lines and beautiful fabrics, which look great if you are 18 or 82. She always looked so elegant, impeccable and she didn’t follow the trend of the moment. I remember her giving me the most incredible tomatoes and basil right out of the garden just because she wanted to share that experience with me. She loved to share things she learned, and I love that too.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE?

“I am an executive producer on two documentaries. I lead an organization called Plant Power Taskforce. MUSE just celebrated our 10-year anniversary, and we are in the process of going global. I am exploring starting an ecofashion line. And most important, I’m raising three amazing children! I wake up every day with a sense of urgency to do everything I can to make the world a better place for all of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.”

WHAT DOES RECEIVING F4D’S ECO AWARD MEAN TO YOU?

“I am so honored! Just 6 years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom, and now I have the opportunity to speak about the connection between animal agriculture and the environment in front of a room of truly amazing and accomplished women! Women make 85% of all household purchasing decisions and are largely responsible for what the family eats. Even the Dalai Lama has said that the world will be saved by women. So, it is up to us to make a difference and move the needle on climate change for our children.

Thank you for recognizing me as an advocate/activist.

My hope is that my message resonates with everyone, and they will take it out into the world in the most influential way that they can!”

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ANNIE LENOX A N A D V O C AT E F O R E M P O W E R I N G W O M E N

BY J ULIA CHA NCE

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In 2003, when Annie Lennox was invited to take part in a concert to launch Nelson Mandela’s 46664 HIV/AIDS Foundation, the South African president shared a tragic truth that shook the singer/songwriter to her core: He declared the epidemic in his country was a “genocide,” W I T H W O M E N A N D C H I L D R E N B E I N G PA RT I C U L A R LY V U L N E R A B L E .

“People were dying at an unprecedented rate. Stigma and shame, associated with HIV/AIDS, was rife and as deadly as the lack of information, prevention and treatment,” Lennox recalled to The Huffington Post in June this year. “I was genuinely taken aback, as up to that point I hadn’t realized the full scale of the issue”.

While she was no stranger to humanitarian efforts — having reunited with Eurythmics partner Dave Stewart for a concert tour to benefit Geenpeace and Amnesty International in 1999 – after witnessing the devastation of the aids pandemic firsthand, visiting hospitals, clinics, orphanages and households in South Africa, Malawi and Uganda, she felt compelled to make a serious contribution. “As a woman and a mother, I felt compelled to do something...

I had to use my platform in some way.”

A big part of what makes Lennox’s advocacy so potent is that she is addressing the ways in which gender inequality plays a role in this pandemic. HIV/AIDS is still one of the leading causes of death for women of reproductive age, the world over. AIDS is still the biggest killers of adolescent girls (15-24 years) in Sub Saharan Africa, with 5,900 young women and girls contracting HIV every week. The disease is especially pervasive in regions where girls and women are disempowered and fall victim to domestic violence and rape.

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“The brutality faced by millions of women and girls is unacceptable,” Lennox said in a statement as an ambassador for UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Program of HIV/AIDS that helps countries strengthen their long-term capacity for dealing with the disease. “If we are to end the cycle of human devastation triggered by the AIDS epidemic, we must address the rights of women and girls and challenge their second class citizen status, which puts them at greater risk of HIV.” Passionate about her work in this sector, Lennox founded the SING campaign in 2007, to promote global awareness about the ways in which HIV impacts women and children.

As a campaigning tool for her new initiative, she wrote “Sing”, a song about HIV, and invited 23 acclaimed women artists to lend their voices to its recording.

In addition to her UNAIDS ambassadorship, she has been special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Scotland and the City of London and an ambassador for Oxfam, Amnesty International and The British Red Cross. She is also founder of The Circle, a registered NGO working to protect and promote the rights of the most marginalized women and girls across the globe.

The recipient of eight BRIT awards, four GRAMMYs, a Golden Globe and an Oscar, she was presented with the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 for her tireless charity campaigns and championing of humanitarian causes. Lennox considers herself a “global feminist.” Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned “HIV Positive”, she travels the world addressing government leaders, humanitarian organizations and people in general, reminding them that the scourge of HIV/AIDS is far from over.

Speaking to a packed crowd at this year’s Women of the World festival in London, Lennox told the audience, “We have made tremendous strides over the last decade in halving mortality rates and doubling access to treatment, but if we don’t continue to pressure governments towards making appropriate responses, then we risk regressing back to where we were a decade ago.”

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Visiting a child headed household in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

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Here, as the recipient of ModaVIE Magazine’s F4D Award, Annie Lennox shares early memories of life in her native Scotland, balancing her artistry with activism, and what keeps her inspired.

WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN SCOTLAND, THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CLIMATE AND WHAT CHILDHOOD DREAMS ALIGNED WITH WHO YOU ARE TODAY.

DID YOU EVER ENVISION THAT YOU WOULD ACHIEVE YOUR STATUS IN LIFE, FROM WHAT YOU KNEW IN THOSE EARLY BEGINNINGS?

“It’s impossible for anyone to envisage how their life will turn out to be…That’s partly what the song “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” is all about. I never sought status, per se, and I still don’t. I just wanted to be a singer/songwriter and recording artist and looking back, I have to say from my experience that truth is undoubtedly stranger than fiction.”

“As a young girl, I was brought up in a two-roomed tenement flat in a working class part of Aberdeen in the North East coast of Scotland. My father worked as a boilermaker in the local shipyards and railways, as my grandfather had done before him. I always had a sense as to how hard and unpredictable life could be. Coming from that background, the Lennox side of the family was very politicized and aware of issues of human rights and injustice.

AS A WORLD RENOWNED, AWARD-WINNING SINGER/ SONGWRITER AND ACTIVIST, TO WHAT OR WHOM DO YOU CREDIT FOR YOUR SUCCESS AND STAYING POWER?

“While I’ve been given these fantastic recognitions and awards—and I do absolutely appreciate every one of them—I actually have a somewhat ambiguous relationship to the notion of ‘winners’ and ‘losers’. As a young artist and performer, I was driven to create something of value and content because I had a passion for music and music making. What followed afterwards was quite a unique journey and I have to credit Dave Stewart, my partner in Eurythmics, for a massive part of the drive and creative vision we both shared. At the end of the day I don’t believe it can be formulated, evaluated or definitively quantified.”

My mother’s family lived in the countryside and I used to love visiting my grandparents in the Highlands, where they lived in a gamekeeper’s cottage. There was a time when they didn’t have electricity, and paraffin lamps would be set out to light on the kitchen table every night, which is still a magical memory for me. As an only child, I spent a lot of time on my own - reading, day dreaming, climbing trees or trying to make friends with the chickens, who seemed to be far less interested in cultivating my friendship! Life was more simple and less complicated back then.

It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I became more keenly aware of things that were happening beyond my immediate circumstances. Music was always part of my upbringing and I felt deeply attuned and connected to it.

Every morning I listened to the top 30 on a small transistor radio while getting ready for school, and I think this served as a bridge towards what was happening in the world beyond Scotland.”

WHAT LESSONS AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC DID YOU TAKE WITH YOU AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU IMPART ABOUT LIVING AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE?

“I soon realized that whatever I’d imagined life would be as a young music student, the actual experience was a massive disappointment, so I had to figure out a B plan and that took time to evolve, which was pretty disheartening

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and unnerving. I took various part time jobs, waitressing, working in stores etc. to support myself for a few years, so I had to learn to be resilient. I think it’s essential to have a strong passion and belief in what you’re doing, even if the odds seem to be stacked against you. There are always some compromises to be made, but trying to be as true to yourself as possible is a very helpful core value.”

by life is the precursor to creativity. Realizing how fortunate my life has been in so many ways, motivates me to make a contribution through the work that I do.”

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE VAST AND CONSIDERABLE– FROM THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS TO HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT CAUSES. WAS THERE A PARTICULAR ‘AH-HAH’ MOMENT THAT SERVED AS YOUR PERSONAL CALL TO ACTION?

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCES?

“I first became more fully aware of the devastating impact the AIDS pandemic was having on the lives of millions of women and children over a decade ago in 2003, when I was invited to take part on the launch of Nelson Mandela’s HIV/AIDS Foundation - 46664, in Cape Town, South Africa – a country with the highest rates of infection. Mandela sent a direct message to the world that “women and girls were the face of AIDS,” describing the situation as a “genocide”.

“Life influences begin with life circumstances, family, country, school, culture, language etc. and it goes on and on from there. Everything I’ve been exposed to has influenced me. I’m a sponge for whatever I’ve seen, heard or experienced. In terms of music, my taste has always been eclectic. I also think that having had the opportunity to travel extensively has had a profound impact on me. I’ve always had the sense of being an ‘outsider,’ which has been both interesting and challenging to deal with, but a lot of creative individuals seem to have felt that way!”

With little or no access to treatment, people were dying at an unprecedented rate. Stigma and “shame’ associated with HIV/AIDS was rife and as deadly as the lack of information, prevention and treatment. After directly witnessing the situation for myself, in hospitals, clinics, orphanages and child headed households, I was so appalled and affected that I felt compelled to do whatever I could to make a difference. Many people still don’t realize that HIV/AIDS is still one of the leading causes of death in women of reproductive age, (15 – 49 years) globally, as well as one of the leading causes of death for adolescent girls in Sub–Saharan Africa.”

WHAT DID IT MEAN FOR YOU TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II FOR YOUR HUMANITARIAN CONTRIBUTIONS?

“It’s a very special award and I felt honored to have been recognized in that capacity.”

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION, CREATIVELY, AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE YOUR OUTREACH?

“From my perspective, just being alive is an extraordinary miracle in itself. Being conscious, curious and fascinated

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IS THERE ONE EXPERIENCE YOU COULD SHARE THAT SUMS UP THE ISSUE YOU’VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR?

AS AN ADVOCATE FOR EMPOWERING WOMEN AND CHAMPIONING RELATED CRITICAL CAUSES, CAN YOU SHARE HOW THE CIRCLE CAME ABOUT AND WHAT YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE THROUGH IT?

“It’s hard to pick just one experience, as I’ve had so many that have had a profound effect on me, but nine years ago I had met a little girl called Avelile in a rural hospital in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. She was born HIV positive and her mother had died from AIDS. Avelile was seven years old and suffering from full blown AIDS and pneumonia. She was skeletally thin and weighed no more than a one-year-old child. Her chances of survival seemed almost impossible, and when we left the hospital we felt very somber because we didn’t actually think she’d make it.

“After I came back to the UK from my travels in South Africa and Uganda, I was struck by the massive disparity in terms of general resources available to girls and women living in “Western” countries compared to girls and women in the so called developing world. We have come a very long way since the Suffragette Movement of our great grandmother’s time, but millions of girls and women are still nowhere near the very first rung of the ladder when it comes to education, medical health care, sexual and reproductive health care and rights, job opportunities, human rights, legal rights, etc. The concept of The Circle is to inspire and connect women to harness their skills, creativity and influence, so they can become change agents in a movement to transform the challenges and injustices faced by the most disempowered women and girls in the world. Over the years, we have collaborated with each other, creating events, raising funds, raising awareness and exploring our potential. We are still in the early stages, but I believe we have tremendous potential.

For more information, visit www.thecircle.ngo.”

Five months later, we returned to the district to see how things were. To our amazement, Avelile had survived and was looking healthy and well, due to good medical treatment and decent nutrition. She is now a 16-year-old teenager, who wants to be able to study and become a doctor.

If I have a message, it would be that in this day and age, no child has to be born with AIDS, and mothers living with HIV should have access to life saving treatment, so their children don’t become orphaned.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHILANTHROPISTS AND THOSE WITH CREATIVE ASPIRATIONS?

AIDS destroys the entire fabric of society, destabilizing populations and wiping out generations. This doesn’t need to happen. There has already been a 60% reduction in new HIV infections in children since 2009, simply because mothers living with HIV learned how they could protect their infants and took the relevant action, averting 1.2 million HIV infections among children”

“I think there is a definite trend in the younger generation who are actively seeking solutions to sustainable development issues. The truth is that solutions do exist, but the challenge lies in effectively putting them into 39

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Annie Lenox and Avelile

Avelile at seven years old, before treatment.

AS A STYLE ICON, HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE?

practice and taking things to scale. Ultimately, until you have systemic, social, economic and political commitment to transformative change on a global scale, things will continue to lurch from one crisis to another, but that doesn’t give you an excuse not to try to do something. In terms of advice, I’m somewhat averse to offering it, because I think people learn through their own experiences, but I would say that if a person feels drawn towards engagement in activism, campaigning or social entrepreneurship, they need to be prepared to stay for the long haul, which requires sustained commitment and dedication. It’s also important to seek guidance from good people who have knowledge and qualified experience.”

“I don’t consider myself to be a style icon…content is far more significant for me than presentation at this stage in my life! In terms of clothes, I’m just who I am and don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations in that regard, so as long as I’m comfortable in what I’m wearing for any given occasion, then that works for me.”

TELL US WHAT IT MEANS TO RECEIVE THE F4D AWARD.

“The F4D award is a wonderful opportunity to share my message and hopefully inspire other women to become more engaged with issues affecting girls and women.

Feminism is a global issue and I’m proud to be part of the women’s movement in that context.”

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND PERSONAL PURSUITS FOR THE FUTURE?

“Life is a journey and we’re only here for a very short time. If I can be fit and healthy, then everything else comes after that. I hope to be able to live my life in the best way possible, taking nothing for granted each day at a time.”

for more information, visit: annielennox.com thecircle.ngo unaids.org cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/13/annie.lennox.aids

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PAUL POLMAN C H A M P I O N I N G S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

BY SHA RON PENDA N A

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At the helm of Unilever, the world’s third-largest consumer goods company since Januar y 2009, Paul Polman has an ambitious, sustainable vision for the multinational giant which operates in more than 190 countries and whose products, from Lipton to Lifebuoy, are used by 2 B I L L I O N P E O P L E E A C H D AY.

Having earned his stripes during his tenure at the other two top global consumer goods companies, P&G and Nestlé, he stepped boldly into his position as CEO, turning the financial crisis of 2007/8 into a competitive advantage, “galvanizing” for systemic change. Straight out of the gate, he eliminated earnings guidance and quarterly profit reports, putting in place long-term goals rather than prioritizing short-term gains with the understanding that there is no separation between “sustainability as an environmental or development issue and as a business and economic imperative.”

He recently tweeted, “Embedding purpose across business is key to having real and successful impact. Actions over words.” And he is a man of action. He is chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development; a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, the B Team, and the Global Commission on Business and Sustainable Development; and ser ves on the board of the U.N. Global Compact. In 2016, he was invited to join the U.N. Secretar y-General’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocacy Group, tasked with promoting action on the 2030 Agenda.

Upholding the mantle of purpose-driven business from Unilever’s Lifebuoy soap heritage, he says, “We frankly don’t need more PhDs or technology to address these major challenges. We need, above all, human willpower; leaders who can put the interest of others ahead of their own, driven by a stronger purpose and guided by the stars, not by the lights of ever y passing ship.”

Though he is honored by the F4D award, he acknowledges that in our resource-constrained world, “The best moment to achieve an award is when we all have irreversibly eradicated poverty in a more sustainable and equitable way - a moment and award all humanity should strive for.”

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involvement. It is clear that without collective support, the SDGs are doomed to fail. This simply can’t be allowed to happen.”

SHARE HIGHLIGHTS OF GROWING UP IN THE NETHERLANDS AND WHAT INFLUENCES SURROUNDED YOU THAT DIRECTED YOUR PATH?

“Resources were scarce in a Netherlands still recovering from the impact of World War II, and my parents had to work incredibly hard to provide for my six siblings and me. My father couldn’t go to University as a result of the war and had to hold two jobs his entire life to ensure that his children had all the opportunities he never had. My parents taught us to respect others and to be humble. We have a saying in the Netherlands ‘never forget your house number’ – it means don’t forget where you come from and remember to stay grounded, wherever you end up in life.”

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AS CEO OF UNILEVER AND HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY RESPONDED VIA SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES?

“Consumers have become more demanding about the type of products they buy and are increasingly asking for products from companies taking part in the sustainability movement. As an industry, we need to respond to this to stay competitive and ahead of the curve. One-third of people are already buying goods based on their sustainability credentials.

WHY AND HOW DID SUSTAINABLE COMMERCE PRACTICES BECOME MISSION CRITICAL IN YOUR VISION FOR SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS?

The technological revolution means we are more connected than ever before. This creates greater awareness of business practices and necessitates greater transparency across value chains. As a business, you live or die by your reputation. Companies are paying the price for inaction or irresponsibility.

“I want to be part of a company that is working to create a world that I want to retire in and my children and grandchildren can thrive in. I’ve long felt that the purpose of business is first and foremost to serve society. It is not possible to have a strong, functioning business in a world of increasing inequality, poverty and climate change.

Stronger alignment of business with societal interest and planning for the long-term is the only way to guarantee sustained success and longevity. Sustainability isn’t just the right thing to do, it is essential to drive business growth.

Business has to play an active role in creating a better more equitable and sustainable future for all. After all, business is now the key driver of GDP, financing flow, and job creation. Without its active involvement, we cannot implement the development agenda.

To address the major challenges of food security, poverty alleviation and climate change, we need to forge partnerships between governments, civil society, and business. We need partnerships based on the common good, in the spirit of goal 17 of the SDGs. This requires a high level of trust and courageous leadership, both currently in short supply.”

I was delighted to be involved in the shaping of the SDGs via the High-Level Panel. They provide the blueprint for the world we want to see. Business plays a vital role in making them a reality. Indeed 80% of the SDGs require business

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CAN YOU SHARE YOUR VISION COMING INTO YOUR TENURE WITH UNILEVER AND HOW IT’S EVOLVED?

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR US ENVIRONMENTALLY AND WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK FOR OVERCOMING THIS?

“Purpose and value creation have always been part of Unilever’s DNA. One of our founders, William Lever, built a business around the sale of Lifebuoy soap that also helped transform the health of the poor in Victorian Britain, through the simple act of handwashing. It has always been our belief that the purpose of business is not to take from, but to serve society.

“We undoubtedly face huge environmental challenges, but we can’t look at them in isolation – critically these issues all impact the economy and therefore wider society.

The impact cannot be underestimated. We calculate that the effects of climate change cost Unilever €400 million every year.”

We have made great strides in tackling climate change through the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. I was delighted to see such ambitious goals set and agreed. A total of 175 countries signed the Paris Agreement in New York City in April. This is the highest number of countries to have signed an international agreement in history.

Following my appointment as CEO, we felt a new business model was needed to address many of the key challenges.

The crisis of 2007/8 brought to life that a global economic growth based on high levels of debt, overconsumption and leaving too many people behind, was not sustainable.

As we need a new economic model, we also need a different business model - evolving capitalism, if you like, not one based on being less bad or occasional acts of benevolence but one where business has a positive impact on society in all it does. As I often say, a business without purpose has no purpose.

Sustainable business models are vital to long-term inclusive and sustainable growth and value creation. Our voice, and our leadership, in supporting governments to take decisive action on implementing the sustainability agenda, is paramount. Our actions send market signals that the world really can change its path, and our business leaders are committed to making it happen.

In 2010 we launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan which aims to decouple our growth from our environmental footprint and increase our overall social impact. The plan takes responsibility across the total value chain – from farm to fork and addresses external issues such as climate change, food security, deforestation, and sanitation.”

Technology is changing to the extent that we can now do things cost effectively that 5, 10 years ago, were impossible.

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LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT DO YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO IN YOUR LIFE AND WORK?

Business must be at the forefront of this technological progress and must lead by doing – encouraging others to embrace this sustainable technology.”

“I would like to see a world in which business fulfills its purpose and delivers the sustainable economy and society it is capable of delivering; a business and economic model that’s not just driven by shareholder primacy, but is good for all stakeholders with more inclusive, sustainable and equitable growth. I hope to continue to play a small part in achieving this agenda, where the world is living in harmony with, not against, planetary boundaries. Awards like this make us even more determined to fight for the people unable to fight for themselves.”

YOU HAVE BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF MANY AWARDS AND HONORS, ALL OF EQUAL WEIGHT AND DISTINCTION. WAS THERE ONE THAT SHIFTED YOUR VIEW OF YOUR OWN SUCCESS AND VISION FOR FUTURE CONTRIBUTIONS?

“For the sixth year in a row, Unilever ranked as ‘the most recognized leader in sustainability” in the Globe Scan survey. This year, 43% of all global experts ranked Unilever the highest. This shows that we are beginning to make a difference, but we still have a long way to go. It is an honor for Unilever and a great encouragement for us to strive even further. It is a well-deserved recognition for my colleagues who work tirelessly to bring this agenda to life. I am struck by their sense of purpose. But we are realistic that we cannot make the changes the world needs alone.

That’s why I am focused on driving transformational changes such as getting out of deforestation, changing our food system, driving the WASH (water sanitation and hygiene) and creating livelihoods, especially for women.”

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF F4D’S LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN AWARD?

“I’m delighted to share this honor with my fellow honorees and humbled to receive this award on behalf of Unilever.

It’s recognition of the hard work of my colleagues around the world who are working together to demonstrate that sustainable growth can be possible.

We’re only at the beginning of this journey and need to work with other businesses, governments, and civil society.

Collective action is essential to drive real lasting change.”

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NATALIA VODIANOVA G I V I N G W I T H A N A K E D H E A RT

BY J ULIA CHA NCE

NATALIA announces the launch of Elbi platform at The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), New York,47 USA 2015.

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T H E N I C K N A M E ‘ S U P E R N O VA’ I S V E RY F I T T I N G F O R N ATA L I A V O D I A N O VA .

In just a few short years, she went from peddling fruit on the streets of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, where she grew up with a single mom and disabled sister, to becoming one of the most sought after fashion models in the world. She’s walked countless runways and became the face for Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Calvin Klein as well as beauty brands Guerlain and L’Oréal, early in her career.

Later, Vodianova caused a sensation when she graced the runways of roughly 40 shows in just two weeks during one fashion season, after giving birth to her first child, looking radiant as ever. The four children that have since followed, seem to have further sparked her allure rather than derail her career in any way.

Success brought about some familial improvements, such as moving her mother to a nicer flat, sending her youngest sister to an exclusive boarding school, and helping to keep her grandparents comfortable in their advanced age. Yet, as amazing as life had become for Vodianova, there were moments when she felt empty and purposeless.

Then in 2004, tragedy struck her homeland when Chechen rebels attacked a school in Beslan North Ossetia, killing 334 people which included 186 children.

The incident had a profound effect on Vodianova who was visiting Moscow at the time.

“I was so tormented by what happened and I so wanted to do something for the children that survived,” she told Business of Fashion in 2015.

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At the inclusive holiday camp for children with special needs, Kerzhenets, Russia 2012.

As the eldest child of three being raised by a poor, single mother, she grew up fast, leaving school at an early age to help her mother and care for her siblings. In thinking of a way to give back, she tapped into her own hardscrabble childhood. “I thought about what I was missing from my own life when I was growing up, and I didn’t have the opportunity to play,” Vodianova said in a 2014 Vanity Fair interview.

That’s what inspired her to develop playgrounds that help children affected by the tragedy to heal, and her Naked Heart Foundation, a charity that builds public play parks in urban areas throughout Russia, was born. Since its founding, the Naked Heart Foundation has built 160 facilities across Russia, with some located near orphanages, children’s hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

Having a sister with cerebral palsy and autism, and witnessing the rate that disabled children in Russia are put into orphanages due to financial hardship on parents, Vodianova developed the Naked Heart Foundation program, Every Child Deserves a Family. It helps by funding Russian NGOs that provide services for vulnerable families while lobbying Russian legislation to align with the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities. The program is also doing a lot to change the outmoded views and ideas about people with disabilities.

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NATALIA at the opening of the Naked Heart Foundation’s 100th play park in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia 2013.

In 2008, to support the Naked Heart, Vodianova created her biennial Love Ball charity auction which has become a hot ticket among the fashion set. More recently, she threw the annual carnival-esque Fabulous Fund Fair where supermodel, fashion designer, and makeup artist friends helmed booths for attractions and games to raise funds and awareness for the cause.

Beauty may have helped her become a supermodel, but it’s her compassion that’s made her a world-class role model. Here, she tells us how finding a humanitarian purpose has inspired her.

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With MR VALENTINO GARAVANI at the ‘White Fairy Tale’ Love Ball charity gala, France 2011.

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WHAT WOULD YOU MOST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR HOMELAND AND ITS OVERALL CONTRIBUTIONS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY?

WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN RUSSIA AND WHAT INFLUENCES FROM YOUR YOUTH PLAYED A ROLE IN DIRECTING YOUR PATH (TO THE WORK YOU DO TODAY)?

“Russia is full of extremes: Russian literature, ballet, music and art are extremely sophisticated and beautiful. At times, Russia may be seen as chaotic and even dangerous, but in truth, all lives co-exist in love. It was a very dark, Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoevsky, who once said that “Beauty will save the world.” What he actually meant was the savior is love. The feeling of infinite love, devotion and forgiveness is something about Russia I would want to share with people.”

“My grandparents used to put a lot of care into rounding up the family – it was a serious thing for them. New Year’s Eve, Easter celebrations and summer holidays or Sunday afternoons – being together and celebrating family was always more important than the complexities of life and the world around us. My memories are full of those beautiful moments spent in the house learning from my grandmother, setting the table, listening to music, toasting, enjoying food and playing games. Everything was done together. And all of this definitely grew my sense of hospitality which is a great heritage that is with me. I try to recreate fostering hospitality as a culture every day for both of my families: my private one and the Naked Heart Foundation.”

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

“My children inspire me most. They also help me to focus. And with the addition of each child, my level of responsibility, effectiveness and energy have increased.”

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AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S FOREMOST FASHION PERSONALITIES REPRESENTING THE WORLD’S LARGEST BRANDS AND HOUSES, HOW DO YOU VIEW THE ROLE OF FASHION ON OUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPE?

who might have a better chance at a normal life. We found the same resistance when we talked to the media.

Any story we tried to spread about children with special needs was initially refused by magazines, because it was not appealing enough or there was no quick recovery success story, and the editors’ response would be that they can’t sell magazines, writing on the subject. We triumphed because we never gave up. None of this could stop me and the Foundation because our belief was clear and solid and we deeply knew how important this fight was. I never stopped believing in the purpose and seeing it. I’m proud to say that our commitment has ultimately changed the situation dramatically. In addition to the many new facilities and programs we have built for children with special needs and their families, the greatest result has seen a big change in the public’s attitude, for the better, which will continue to be my greatest ambition in the years to come.”

“Our nature, as human beings, needs to be nourished by beauty. Despite its superficial appeal, fashion is an essential source of inspiration as much as art is. It’s an amazing form of expression that allows us to dream and escape from reality – something as vital as air for our souls. The dreamy and playful part of my experience with fashion is exactly what inspired my social projects and activities. Everything I do has ‘play’ at its core. I grew up understanding how valuable this was in my life and decided to give back to those who deserve it most: children. Initiatives like the Fabulous Fund Fair or the Love Ball Gala are examples of how fashion plays an important part in fostering dreams and play with purpose.”

TELL US ABOUT BEING PART OF THE ANNIE LEIBOWITZ SHOOT CELEBRATING THE WORLD’S MOST INSPIRING WOMEN AND HOW THAT CAME ABOUT.

CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST LIFE LESSONS?

“If we follow our hearts, if we are incredibly honest with ourselves, being ‘naked’ to our own inner eyes, then we really have nothing to lose. It’s the most natural thing ever.

In my early life, this happened to be my only option to surviving my daily life. Since then, I have applied that thinking to everything, making the most out of it. Having nothing to lose ended up being the essence of my positive thinking. I’m grateful for those lessons that I learned very young, which has kept encouraging me and pushed me further in so many situations.”

“Annie and I have a long standing relationship. We have been working together for many years, and even though I had just had my fourth child at that time, I said yes because it was Annie asking me. This calendar was very personal for her and she had such a sharp vision about it. I felt very honored to be part of the project. Her research led her to consider and illustrate a different angle of internal beauty. Once again, she broke the rules, which is always inspiring.”

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARITABLE WORK/ORGANIZATIONS AND WHY THEY’RE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU.

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGES AND HOW DID YOU TRIUMPH THROUGH THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES?

“I’ve known two very extreme conditions in life and my charitable work is what aligns these two worlds in perfect balance. My past, before my success, and the world of luxury I was not prepared for. Because of my philanthropic work, my two lives intersect and provide direction for the future. One gives purpose and sense to the other one.

After devoting myself to this for 12 years, I could never imagine myself without it. It’s an extension of my body and my mind, an integral part of my life.”

Tackling the stigma of disability is the greatest challenge I face every day with the Naked Heart Foundation. When we started to work with children with special needs, some of the initial feedback we received was so negative. Many people wondered why we were willing to spend time and resources toward the cause, when there is little perceived potential in these children’s ability to contribute to society; when those same funds could simply cure other children

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At the Naked Heart Foundation’s temporary play area in the Russian town of Krymsk, which suffered devastating flood damage, Russia 2012.

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At the launch of the Naked Heart Foundation’s charity initiative “Cinema for children”, Moscow, Russia 2015.

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YOU BELIEVE THAT LITTLE ACTIONS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. FOR THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION, THOSE WITH LITTLE MEANS BUT HEARTS TO ACT, WHAT ARE SOME ‘LITTLE ACTIONS’ YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE?

“I believe consideration and altruism are innate in the human nature, as they are originated by love which is part of our instinct. We not only need to receive it, but we naturally need to give it back. When we learn about causes we were not aware of – causes that might seem far from our lives, people often believe their contribution would never make the difference or they feel they have nothing relevant to give. I want to empower everybody, millennials especially, to affect the world in a positive way, starting with little symbolic donations: a drawing, a smile, a selfie, a picture – that you would probably do during your day, anyway – but you don’t know how much those little gestures can make a substantial difference for a suffering child or for a parent struggling to find hope and encouragement.

That’s the idea behind Elbi, the digital platform and an app I envisioned and co-founded to make philanthropy part of everybody’s daily life. I would encourage people to start using it every day to experience how effective they can be with a little action and how rewarding it feels to be part of a big change. It is important to remember that everyone counts.”

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE, BOTH PERSONALLY AND FOR YOUR MANY INITIATIVES?

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU SHARE THAT’S BEEN A CONSTANT IN YOUR SUCCESS?

“I feel like I’ve planted many seeds throughout the years and now I hope to see them blooming stronger and more beautifully every day. Elbi, for instance, my newest project, has been endorsed by President Clinton as a Clinton Global Initiative commitment for 2016, and we have a long path together in front of us. I hope to meet more and more valuable institutions and partners that will support my work, valuing the vision behind it and enhancing it to grow solidly. I hope the future provides opportunity for us to partner with successful investors that value our ideas and decide to scale it with us. The Naked Heart Foundation has demonstrated, throughout the years, to be one of the most powerful engines for a radical change of mentality in Russian society and our growth will only be possible with the support of invaluable donors. I hope the tremendous work done by my organization has staying power and our efforts will encourage new ‘big hearts’ to join us to sustain our cause. Generally, I hope that philanthropy will inspire brands and companies, with particular attention to digital startups, to launch constructive projects and campaigns for the good of society.”

“I have a motto that has constantly helped me move forward: “See the goals and don’t see the obstacles.” My own success would have definitely been affected if I had stopped in front of the many difficulties I’ve experienced on my path. I have simply ignored them; I knew they were there but I kept my focus on my objectives only. I share this precious advice especially with the younger generations who face cultural challenges or any other limitations, which should never deter them from what they want to achieve. Believing is the key to success.”

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NADJA SWAROVSKI C RY S TA L Q U E E N O F T H E P E O P L E

BY C ORYNNE L. CORB ETT

Images courtesy of 57 NADJA SWAROVSKI

PEOPLE

ON THE EVENING OF JUNE 6TH, The Hammerstein Ballroom was abuzz with energy. Industry insiders were excited that Nadja Swarovski—probably the most visible member of the Executive Board of her family-owned crystal dynasty, and arguably its creative force—was once again advocating for the future of fashion through collaboration. For 15 years, the company had celebrated the best new visionaries in the industry by awarding coveted prizes in each category but this year, Nadja had decided to do even more. That night, three young fashion design brands were invited to participate in the inaugural Swarovski Emerging Talent Award Mentorship Program.

“Supporting emerging designers is deeply embedded in the DNA of Swarovski, so it is a pleasure to evolve our relationship with the CFDA Fashion Awards this year with this expanded mentorship program,” she told Women’s Wear Daily. This year’s winners—Brandon Maxwell (Womenswear); Alex, Matthew and Samantha Orley for Orley (Menswear); and Paul Andrew (Accessory Design)—are not only set to receive financial support but will also participate in programming that includes a series of research and innovation trips, opportunities to foster relationships with global designers, strategies in sales and marketing and one-on-coaching with specially chosen mentors.

Innovation and evolution are not only important to the Swarovski brand, but also to Nadja herself. She grew up in the shadow of the family factory, in the tiny town of Wattens, Austria. She spent the early years of her childhood walking through a field to get to school, riding her bike between company buildings, and playing with the crystals her father, Helmut, brought home from the factory alongside her sister, Vanessa. It may have been a combination of a teenager’s need for independence, a desire to explore her American side (her mother Dani Lynn grew up in the Midwest) or Rob Lowe’s appearance in the film “Class”, that led her to attend boarding school at St. Mark’s in Southborough, Massachusetts.

But afterward she stayed, enrolling at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas to study art history. “I had an incredible connection with the company, but I felt it was important that I did my own thing and I decided to go to school in the States,” she explains. “It was fantastic being somewhere where people couldn’t even pronounce Swarovski; at home I was surrounded by people who came from families that had been working for Swarovski for several generations.”

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2015 Designers of the Future Awards Left to right: AZUSA MURAKAMI and ALEXANDER GROVEs (Studio Swine), NADJA SWAROVSKI, RODMAN PRIMACK (Design Miami)

New York City beckoned after college, where Nadja received her master’s from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, studied at the Gemological Institute of America and worked at the Gagosian Gallery. But it was her foray into public relations, working with the renowned publicist Eleanor Lambert, then 92, which eventually led her back to the family business and ignited a passion to re-establish the company’s extraordinary connection to fashion and design.

“With Eleanor, I was representing Valentino and Missoni. When the Missoni family came over to New York, I was to take care of them, because I was European,” she told Surface.

“That was really my ‘aha’ moment. I thought, wait, my grandfather used to tell me these stories about working with amazing couturiers. Where did that Swarovski connection to fashion go? At that time—1995—Swarovski was perceived to be about swans and ducks.” That same year she began working in the company’s marketing department in New York City before a stint at the Hong Kong offices.

Swarovski started out with a stylish pedigree a century earlier. During the industrial revolution, Nadja’s great-great-grandfather, Daniel, patented a glass cutting machine that enabled him to produce lead crystal glass jewelry, which he sold to haute couture houses including those run by Charles Frederick Worth and Jeanne Lanvin. His crystals were also used to adorn the aristocratic set—including Queen Victoria’s gowns. Nadja’s grandfather, Manfred, continued to build strong alliances among fashion’s elite and along the way, Hollywood came knocking—leading to Swarovski’s crystals most notably adorning Dorothy’s ruby slippers in the “Wizard of Oz.” But the Parisian fashion houses remained important, especially the relationship Manfred built with Christian Dior. “When Monsieur Dior wanted a stone that emanated the Northern Lights, my grandfather created Aurora Borealis, still one of our best-selling stones,” she recalls.

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NADJA SWAROVSKI with the 2015 Designers of the Future Award winners Left to right: NADJA SWAROVSKI, ALEXANDER GROVES and AZUSA MURAKAMI (Studio Swine), ELAINE YAN LING NG, TOMÁS ALONSO

When Nadja returned to the family business and eventually relocated to London, she was searching for the 21st Century equivalent of her grandfather’s partnership with Christian Dior. She found what she was looking for through her father’s fateful meeting with the legendary editor Isabella Blow— an introduction to Alexander “Lee” McQueen with whom the company began collaborating in 1999. “McQueen surprised us with the way he used crystals. McQueen used materials that had been sitting in our warehouse for so long—he reinterpreted them by changing their application,” she told Show Studios during an interview before the opening of Savage Beauty at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last year (which Swarovski sponsored). “Working with McQueen started a blueprint for us to support emerging talent and allow them to be recognized, allow them to be acknowledged and eventually celebrated by the industry.” In fact, Nadja credits McQueen for bringing crystals back to the catwalk.

Three years later, Nadja used Swarovski’s heritage of creating chandelier components as the inspiration to establish groundbreaking collaborations with designers and architects through The Swarovski Crystal Palace Project, which showcased their state-of-theart interpretations of light and design using cut crystal. “I thought chandeliers were an interesting category for Swarovski. I wanted to put an existing product into the hands of cutting-edge designers who could make it more relevant. We worked with Ilse Crawford, and she coined the “Crystal Palace” concept. The company said, “No, why would you want to do anything with the chandelier? The chandelier is dead.” I thought that’s precisely why. As long as Swarovski is creating chandelier components, we have to promote them.”

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CFDA Awards 2016 From left to right: BRANDON MAXWELL, NADJA SWAROVSKI, PAUL ANDREW, ANSEL ELGORT (award presenter), SAMANTHA ORLEY, KARLIE KLOSS, ALEX ORLEY, and MATTHEW ORLEY (Orley)

Driven to keep her company on the cutting edge of excellence, Nadja next established Atelier Swarovski in 2007, through which luminaries ranging from Karl Lagerfeld to Zaha Hadid, as well as Viktor & Rolf have designed exquisite jewelry collections. But it is not just contributing to the world of design and fashion that drives Nadja to keep building the Swarovski brand, which made nearly $3 billion in 2015, employed more than 26,000 people worldwide, and has more than 2,500 stores around the globe. Since the company was founded, it has always believed in giving back. In 2013, she founded the Swarovski Foundation to align their philanthropic work around three areas: supporting culture and creativity, promoting well being and conserving natural resources. They have lent assistance to such projects as WaterAid, which helps communities in Africa, Asia and Central America access clean water; MediCinema, which works to improve the health and happiness of patients in hospitals through access to the arts and films; Ark, an organization that seeks to provide access to education for children worldwide and built its first primary school in Delhi last year; and provided funding to restore the statue on the cupola of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.

With all that she does, it’s hard to believe that the 46 year-old visionary has time for a personal life. But indeed being a wife and mother is an essential part of her life. Married to hedge fund manager Rupert Adams, she is also the mother to three children: 11 yearold Rigby, 9 year-old Thalia and 7 year-old Jasmine. “I made the choice to be a mother and have a career,” she once told the Telegraph. “I find the job incredibly inspiring and I think I am probably a better mother because of it.”

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While Nadja Swarovski continues to evolve her family’s brand, we thought it was fitting to recognize her work with the F4D Education and Creativity Award. We asked her about the importance of education in her own life, what inspires her and how it feels to be the first female leader in her family owned-company. Here’s what she had to say: WHAT ROLE DID YOUR EDUCATION PLAY IN DIRECTING AND AIDING YOU ON YOUR PATH?

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE PART OF A DYNASTY BRAND, AND THE FIRST FEMALE MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR SUCH A WORLD-RENOWNED ORGANIZATION?

“Studying at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, I had the most remarkable Art History teacher, Alessandra Comini. While I was her student, she was given the Grand Decoration of Honour by the Austrian government. After studying there, I went to New York, did a master’s program at Sotheby’s, ended up at the Gagosian Gallery, and then worked in public relations under Eleanor Lambert, which was amazing, she was so knowledgeable and I learned so much from her. I really must also credit my tutor at the Gemological Institute of America. He taught us the power of knowledge and he was an incredible influence and inspiration for me.”

“Growing up on the doorstep of our headquarters in the Tyrol, exposed me to the company from an early age. My father used to bring us the latest prototypes of crystal, so my sister and I would play with all the facets and light effects. When I was older, I felt the need to leave home and explore my own talent and strength. Studying and working all around the world made me more independent and provided me with the courage to trust my own instincts.

When I came to work back within the family business, I saw how Swarovski could evolve by collaborating with international designers across different design disciplines to push forward our creativity and innovation. It is a privilege to be on the executive board of my family company. As so many of our customers and employees are women, it is an honor to be able to represent them.”

WHAT CREATIVE INFLUENCES AND AESTHETICS HAVE PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN YOUR VISION FOR THE COMPANY?

“My grandfather was really my inspiration when I joined the company. I grew up hearing stories about his work with Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. He understood the importance of putting our product in the hands of great designers. We initiated a program to reinvent ourselves within the fashion industr y, and I wanted to see if that same equation would work for architecture and design. We worked with cutting edge designers and challenged them to push the boundaries of design while using our product, and this further inspired the company from a product innovation standpoint.”

WHICH EDUCATION INITIATIVES ARE YOU PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT?

“Under the Swarovski Foundation, we have supported the creation of a Learning Centre within London’s new Design Museum in Kensington. Set to open this November, it will offer an extensive range of facilities, including a Design Studio, Design Studio workshop, two seminar rooms and a Common Room (altogether more than 5,000 square feet). The Swarovski Foundation Centre for Learning will attract up to 60,000 learners annually, bringing together the worlds of formal education, informal learning, and professional design.”

YOU ARE A CHAMPION FOR EMERGING DESIGNERS. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR GREATEST LIFE LESSONS?

“Championing the next generation of talent is so important to us. We are proud to collaborate with and lead a number of initiatives around the world for young designers.

In June we celebrated our 15th successive year supporting the CFDA Fashion Awards, and in honor of this, we have expanded the mentorship program. This year we will also be supporting the expanded Fashion Awards in London.

There is a strong interplay between this support and our collaborations. We launched the Swarovski Collective Prize last year, and we have since had the pleasure of working with both 2015 and 2016 winners Peter Pilotto and Rosie Assoulin on jewelry collaborations for Atelier Swarovski.”

“Focusing on education, passion, integrity and a strong work ethic will carry you far in business. It is also important to stay strong and believe in yourself.”

WHAT DOES RECEIVING F4D’S EDUCATION CREATIVITY AWARD MEAN TO YOU?

AND

“It is a true honor to receive this award. Education and creativity are hugely important to us at Swarovski, and to be recognized for our initiatives in these fields is a pleasure.

Despite all of this, the real reward will always be watching these projects help to transform young people’s lives.”

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PETRA NEMCOVA L I V I N G W I T H PA S S I O N A N D P U R P O S E

BY C ORYNNE L. CORB ETT

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The Dalai Lama once said, “When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways —either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge TO FIND OUR INNER STRENGTH.” Supermodel, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Petra Nemcova has clearly chosen the latter. While she initially came to prominence for her appearance as the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model, a little over a year later, she’d be known for something else—a survivor of the deadliest tsunami in modern history.

In December 2004, it struck the town of Khao Lak, Thailand where she was vacationing with her boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee. The natural disaster took more than 230,000 lives— among them Atlee as well as many children— and left the Czech-born Nemcova with a pelvis broken in four places as well as emotional scars that couldn’t be measured. As she clung to a tree for 8 hours, she heard the cries of the children. Those cries haunted her, but ultimately they served as motivation for her to heal and to take action. “That experience has driven me to help children every day. On that day, I didn’t have a choice and now I do,” she told NBC News who accompanied the supermodel back to Thailand TEN YEARS AFTER THE STORM.

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One of Nemcova’s first steps towards helping children impacted by the tsunami was to tell her story. Her book, “Love Always, Petra: A Story of Courage and the Discovery of Life’s Hidden Gifts” was released a year later and 100% of the proceeds were given to support Thai children. But her spirit yearned to do more, so she founded “The Happy Hearts Fund”. Set to celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, the nonprofit’s mission is to rebuild safe and resilient schools in areas impacted by natural disasters. “I’ve found that if, instead of only supporting communities during first response, we create a sustained response throughout their recovery by rebuilding schools, the ripple effect on children’s emotional healing, their potential job opportunities, and the overall hopefulness of the community is incredible,” she explains. “These schools also revitalize the economy and help future generations in the community. On so many levels they give the community a much needed energy boost and economic boost.” To date, the HHF has helped more than 50,000 children and 500,000 community members. Their work has expanded to 10 countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Haiti, the Philippines, and Nepal as well as the United States. The organization has rebuilt more than 130 schools so far.

What sets the HHF apart from other celebrity charities is Nemcova herself, who works to advance its mission daily because it’s personal. Her passion is infused in much of what she does. Her work with the HHF has been recognized by many organizations including The United Nations, Women Together, Glamour Woman of the Year, and Do Something.

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Three years ago, she partnered with Christian Hosford to create “Be the Light New York”

by Petra Nemcova. The international luxury home decor brand offers products that are inspired by her trips around the globe. Included in their offerings are candles inspired

by Nemcova’s life and favorite locales such as Czech Holiday Cookie, Haitian Hibiscus Breeze, and Spanish Saffron Heat among others. Ten percent of the proceeds of BTLNY are earmarked for the HHF. Nemcova still finds the time to model too, and she is a global ambassador for Chopard, Mercedes, Tumi and Level 99 Jeans. And while HHF is central to what she does, Nemcova also lends her time and talent to other causes. Currently, she serves on the advisory board of Glamour’s Women of the Year Fund.

Ultimately, Nemcova’s journey has given her a perspective on life that we could all adopt. She told People, “The tsunami has given me many gifts and one of them has been consciousness of how lucky I am.”

Fashion 4 Development is pleased to honor Nemcova with our GOLDEN HEART AWARD.

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MENGQING FAN BRIDGING THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN E D U C AT I O N A N D E M P L O Y M E N T I N C H I N A

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IN A COUNTRY WHERE ONE THIRD OF THE WORLD’S COLLEGE STUDENTS RESIDE, one painful observation rings true: graduation is the beginning of unemployment.

Each year, over 7 million college students graduate in China. Most of them will face tremendous hardship in landing a job and possibly endure an extended period of unemployment. What caused the disconnect between China’s higher education and the job market? The answer may be multi-faceted, but Shixi Technology’s founder Mengqing Fan is focusing on one thing that’s been missing from the Chinese education system for years – internship. An old Chinese saying describes the university as “an ivory tower”. When in that “ivory tower”, one is to study and study alone. There is no room for practical, worldly experience. But in a tough job market, employers are looking for experienced workers who can immediately perform. Mengqing realized that her background in technology and big data could help Chinese college graduates change their fate.

Mengqing was born in Shenyang, an old industrial base in northern China. Her father, a renowned scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, cultivated Mengqing’s passion for knowledge from an early age. Mengqing obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Dalian Jiao Tong University.

She furthered her studies in Los Angeles and earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from California State University. After completing graduate school, Mengqing co-founded multiple technology companies in California, and accumulated significant experience in software development, 3D development and other technological fields.

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Shixi is Chinese pinyin for “internship”. Mengqing Fan poses at the entrance of Shixi Technolody’s Beijing headquarters.

Mengqing then returned to China, where she quickly gained an in-depth understanding of the Chinese higher education system and job market. Schools often do not provide students with internship opportunities or a way to gain work experience, however employers want to hire personnel who have on-the-job experience. Finding suitable candidates at relatively low cost has also been a major problem for employers.

Mengqing was determined to use her technological knowhow to help new graduates in their search for employment. Utilizing big data technology, she created China’s first web-based platform providing college students and graduates with information about internships, jobs, and volunteer opportunities – founding Shixi Technology (www.Shixi. com) in 2014. Shixi is Chinese pinyin for “internship”, which perfectly describes its goal of building both an intern culture and standards in China, and further popularizing it around the globe.

Shixi Technology connects college graduates with businesses, providing an efficient and reliable platform with not only internship information, but also internship solutions for students, while encouraging employers to offer internship opportunities to help them find qualified student candidates, thus reducing the cost of training and recruitment of new hires. Within two years, the new company has signed up more than 1,000 Chinese colleges and universities and nearly 100,000 Chinese business enterprises.

Mengqing and her team have also set up insurance practices to address the issue of student safety and established an internship fund and student loan facility to assist students with economic hardships. Mengqing firmly believes that because of this ideal service system, the platform allows business enterprises and interns to form a 69

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On June 15, 2016, Shixi Technolody and Los Angeles-based NETV signed a strategic partnership agreement.

NETV will serve as a film and television internship base of Shixi Technolody in the United States.

trustworthy and mutually advantageous relationship. According to a recent survey, 80% of the students who found internship positions through Shixi Technology were hired by the company they served, after completing their internships.

As a leading company that provides relevant solutions for such a vital social and economic issue, Shixi Technology quickly captured the recognition of universities, enterprises, society, and media. In 2015, Mengqing appeared on the popular CCTV program “Pilot “, where she shared her observations about the low employment rate of new university graduates, and expressed her determination to establish a safe and reliable information platform for internships. In 2016, she won the “Outstanding Entrepreneur of Integrity“ Award. Because of her educational upbringing and extensive work experience in the United States, Mengqing attaches great importance to education, and has a profound respect for knowledge and the humanities. However, she is not only committed to bringing information to students, but also actively promotes academic and job integrity, and believes in providing training to highly qualified personnel to optimize the overall employment system. Currently Mengqing, as the CEO of Shixi Technology, is focused on the company’s global strategy and building a beneficial network of universities and enterprises around the world. The goal is to build a safe and reliable international bridge for students of all countries to gain global internship, employment, business startup opportunities, employment training and certification in various workplace environments in different cultures, to improve overall student competitiveness, and provide international talents to the global community.

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YOUR FATHER IS A SCIENTIST AND INVENTOR AT THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. YOU HAD AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION FROM AN EARLY AGE. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON “EDUCATION” AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EDUCATION TO SOCIETY?

WITH CHINA’S RAPID DEVELOPMENT LEADING TO A VERY COMPLEX EDUCATION SYSTEM AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU WERE FACED WITH IN STARTING SHIXI TECHNOLOGY?

“It is true that Chinese higher education has developed rapidly, yet students who value the importance of learning do not place internships high enough on their list of priorities. Although Chinese universities require students to graduate with internship experience, it is often just a formality. Schools do not take responsibility for student internships, often times showing indifference about their students’ search for internships, and many do not have any structured internship programs in place. Ultimately, businesses wind up without a proper way to evaluate whether students have completed a quality internship.

Businesses do not know how to determine what students have learned at an internship or how to measure student competency or growth development at their internship.

Students often find internships through the help of parents or their personal network. Some students may even skip their internship, and just “check off” on their internship certificate indicating they had completed their internship.

These actions not only inhibit the students’ personal growth, but will also create great difficulties for enterprises recruiting talent.

“Education is the best way for our society to ensure sustainable development. In the recent past, the previous generation of Chinese students tended to “work/study” in the form of internships. Internships can have a huge influence on the future of a student’s career. When my father was a student, he spent a lot of his spare time working at a factory, where he gave guidance to factory workers and helped create innovative technology. After graduation, he was hired for a technical position and quickly became the youngest engineer on staff. The time he spent at his internship was beneficial. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai studied in Lyon, France during their youth, and often participated in various activities, getting some hands-on experience. Education is not just the theoretical knowledge learned in books.

In order to truly make a contribution to society, one must master skills through internships/work.”

DO YOU THINK THAT INTERNSHIPS SHOULD BE PART OF EDUCATION? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE RELATIONSHIP OR BALANCE SHOULD BE BETWEEN INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION?

Secondly, business enterprises do not understand the value of internships. Students are often given menial jobs and treated as cheap labor. By not providing a relevant internship opportunity for students, businesses are neglecting their social responsibility, resulting in “internship illusion”.

Shixi Technology helps students establish positive views toward internships and provides guidance throughout the internship program.”

“Internships are an extremely important part of education. Students derive theoretical knowledge from books, but will only develop the desired skill set necessar y for real life jobs through practical application of that knowledge. Only by combining theor y with practice, is it possible to obtain rapid and comprehensive development.”

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WE KNOW THAT SHIXI TECHNOLOGY’S CORE MISSION IS TO HELP STUDENTS OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT. IN 2016, THE NUMBER OF COLLEGE GRADUATES IN CHINA HAS RISEN TO 7.65 MILLION. CHINESE SOCIETY EVEN HAS A SAYING IN REGARDS TO THE LOW EMPLOYMENT RATE: “GRADUATION EQUALS UNEMPLOYMENT.” THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR COMPANY AS WELL AS A CHALLENGE. WHAT KIND OF STRATEGY DO YOU HAVE IN RESPONSE?

solutions for students in search of employment. Online services include shixi.com, which allows access to direct searches for internships, and mobile app “boss”, which uses geo-data to help companies find qualified interns. Our online platform utilizes “internet thinking” research and development, accelerating the speed of information connectivity, and precisely matching students with internship positions. Our offline service includes internship outsourcing, overseas internships, educational training, and financial services.

“Unemployment for new graduates is a serious problem. It’s also a big challenge for Shixi Technology. Our company has both online and offline services to support students seeking employment assistance. Online, we have our web platform and mobile app to allow students to fully tap into business resources and provide students with a full menu of internship positions. Offline, we work directly with students, offering them volunteer opportunities in the public and private sectors. Some examples of previous volunteer opportunities include: Global Innovation Conference - Virtual Reality Summit, 2016 China Enterprise Services Summit, the Sixth Beijing International Film Festival, former U.S Ambassador to China Gary Locke’s Investment Meeting and the 2016 Michael Jackson Holographic Concert in Shanghai, where students learned how to work in close contact with film stars and VIP guests. In addition, Shixi Technology also coordinates internship placements, education and training programs, as well as career planning.”

Internship outsourcing is mainly linking students with business enterprises. Overseas internships are a major feature of Shixi Technology, providing opportunities to students who typically do not have the means to work abroad. In terms of educational training, we teach soft skills necessary for the developmental needs of the students at the workplace, including career planning and establishing a positive outlook on life. We offer three types of financial services: internship insurance, internship loans, and an internship fund. We work with major insurance companies and are the first company to come up with the idea of internship insurance. Shixi Technology has also partnered with financial institutions to provide loans to students, allowing them to repay their loans after completing their internship after finding a job. Additionally, Shixi Technology offers scholarships and grants to outstanding students from lower income backgrounds in need of financial assistance.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHIXI TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER SIMILAR WEBSITES? WHAT MAKES THE COMPANY AN INNOVATOR?

Shixi Technology is also the first company to establish a cultural standard and guideline for internships in China. Our goal is to increase students’ level of independence, practical skills, and international perspective. Further, we have established an internship, employment, entrepreneurship and educational training ecosystem with platform options such as the film and television platform, financial platform, ecommerce platform, training platform, etc.”

“Firstly, we are the first platform that is focused on internships, employment, and entrepreneurship, on a global scale.

Secondly, we have a unique business model, combining online and offline business services, offering a full range of

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Mengqing Fan with father in Qingdao in 1986

EVERY BUSINESS HAS ITS OWN CORPORATE CULTURE AND VALUES SYSTEM. WHAT ARE THE CORE VALUES OF SHIXI TECHNOLOGY?

for students to develop their sense of social responsibility and civic minds. Due to geographical limitations, some regions of China suffer from inequality in terms of economic development, which is a really grave issue. One of my goals is to support and aid children from these areas, to help them receive a good education and change the way they view the world. That is why Shixi Technology encourages new graduates to work in programs that bring education to underdeveloped areas, which will hopefully inspire them to remain in those regions to do more impactful work. Moreover, I will continue to offer students a larger number of meaningful activities to benefit the common good, to widen their horizons, and increase their knowledge and experience, ensuring society’s future development and fostering their sense of social responsibility.”

“The core philosophies of Shixi Technology are Service, Honor, Initiative, Cross Training, and Innovation. If a student encounters these values during their internship, then I feel that he/she has experienced a fulfilling internship. Business enterprises that offer this type of internship experience to students, truly take their social responsibility seriously and are enterprises with huge capacity for growth. They understand the value of talent and care about training their future workforce, and are able to provide prospective students the opportunity to contribute to society. A recent survey found that during summer and winter holidays, a majority of Chinese college students have no solid plans to do anything. American college students, on the contrary, typically have summer activities lined up, such as an internship or a summer job. Shixi Technology actively guides students from the beginning of their freshman year so that students get an early start to developing their work habits.”

CHINA IS KNOWN TO BE A MANUFACTURING COUNTRY, WITH A RELATIVELY DEVELOPED FASHIONRELATED INDUSTRY, AND LEADS THE WAY IN MEETING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. HAVE YOU COLLABORATED WITH FASHION-RELATED COMPANIES TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS IN THIS FIELD?

SHIXI TECHNOLOGY WORKS WITH MANY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS. WHY DO YOU WANT TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF SERVICE? IS IT SHIXI TECHNOLOGY’S WAY OF SUSTAINING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY?

“The types of job placements that Shixi Technology provides are very comprehensive. Opportunities in IT, film and television, finance, medical care and fashion design are the majority of the available opportunities. Fashion industry related internships are in high demand by Chinese students, so Shixi Technology has cooperated with fashion related companies, including clothing, advertising, media, and jewelry brands, to help students break into the fashion industry.”

“I’ve discovered that the typical single child Chinese family has resulted in the “Little Emperor Syndrome”, where parents and grandparents spoil their child, creating selfish, dependent young people, who are devoid of social conscience. Shixi Technology has the necessary tools 73

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Mengqing Fan congratulates student volunteers at former U.S Ambassador to China, Gary Locke’s Investment Meeting.

Student volunteers hold a certificate of completion awarded by Shixi Technology at the Virtual Reality Summit.

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CURRENTLY IN CHINA, CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IS RECEIVING INCREASING ATTENTION. SHIXI TECHNOLOGY HAS RECENTLY ALIGNED WITH SEVERAL FILM COMPANIES TO START A REALITY TELEVISION SHOW, “CHINESE PROFESSIONALS IN HOLLYWOOD”. DOES THIS MEAN THAT CREATIVE INDUSTRY INTERNSHIPS WILL BE A CENTRAL PART OF SHIXI TECHNOLOGY’S PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT?

The culture of American education left a profound impression on me. I was really surprised that American students spent a lot of their time on internships and volunteer opportunities. During my time as a student in the United States, I adopted the custom of working internships and participated in many projects. This led to the founding of my first company and multiple companies in the United Stated with my partners. I am quite familiar with both the Chinese and American education systems, so I recognized the imperfections in the current Chinese education system. I hope that Chinese students continue to travel overseas for study and work, but at the same time would like to address the problem of employment for overseas students returning to China.”

“The film and media industries will occupy a large part of the platform. I have found that there are many Chinese students who love the film industry with great passion.

China’s film industry has a huge demand for many different types of talent. The objective of creating the “Chinese Professionals in Hollywood” reality show is to let students learn Hollywood’s advanced ways of making films and TV shows, so that when they return to China, they can shoot their own work, and map out their own film career. Our company plans to produce more shows in order to encourage the development of more talent in the film industry.”

YOU CREATED SHIXI TECHNOLOGY TO HELP STUDENTS. DO YOU HAVE ANY STORIES ABOUT EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN SHARE?

“In May 2016, Shixi Technology selected a student, Tianming Yu, to be the translator during the Mayor of Silicon Valley’s visit to China. Tianming accompanied the mayor during his trip and traveled to places he had never imagined he would visit. He escorted them on their climb of the Great Wall, took photos of CEO and VIP investors, helped them to check in at events, participated in an important meeting in Beijing and posed for pictures with the mayor. He soon developed a camaraderie with the visiting members of Plug and Play, and learned about the hectic growth of a startup. Tianming experienced one of his most colorful life memories. He was very thankful to Shixi Technology for giving him such a unique experience and making a lot of new, like-minded friends.”

HOW DID YOUR STUDY AND WORK EXPERIENCE IN CALIFORNIA AFFECT YOUR CAREER AND PERSONAL LIFE? DID IT INFLUENCE SHIXI TECHNOLOGY’S CURRENT OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY?

“I obtained a degree in mechanical engineering at Dalian Jiaotong University. Then, I went to America to study and obtained a master’s degree in Computer Science from California State University. I lived in the United States for nearly 20 years, during which time I founded a network technology company and a mobile gaming company and accumulated a wide range of contacts in finance and education in both China and the U.S.

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DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, AFTER RECEIVING THE F4D EDUCATION AND INNOVATION AWARD?

“I really would like to thank everyone’s acknowledgement, and especially would like to thank my family, friends, and team for all their support. From the very start of Shixi Technology, I have not permitted myself to slow down.

Receiving recognition for my work has inspired me to put even more effort into the company.”

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SHIXI TECHNOLOGY?

“I would love to go global, and build Shixi Technology into the world’s largest internship and employment platform, offering students even more internship and job opportunities. Shixi Technology is currently established in the United States, Canada and Europe. We would like to continue cultivating early awareness of internships including overseas internships, and broaden global horizons. At the same time, I would like to build a platform for international exchange and attract foreign students to China, so that they can develop a better understanding of China and its culture, as well as contribute to world solidarity.”

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Cocoon Lounge by Daniele Merini Image courtesy of CASALI

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STYLE MAKERS

CASALI GLASS WITH CLASS

BY LUCA CASALI

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Fly by Maurizio Casali Images courtesy of CASALI

FASHION & STYLE

NASTRO by Mac Stopa and Daniele Merini

A BUSINESS WITH HERITAGE Glass has always been a great passion of Maurizio Casali, the creative soul and visionary of Casali designs, whose interest was solidified at a very early age: “I’ve always been fascinated by this eternally crystalline substance.

I remember when I was a child, there would be condensation on my bedroom’s windows during winter and I would draw on them, completely absorbed into creating something from different layers of transparency. What I love and still find remarkable about glass, is that you can be moved by the beauty of the first layer of glass, and then look closer and be captivated by its infinite transparency.”

Maurizio Casali, CEO of the firm since 1982, was born in 1952 in Cesenatico, Italy where he grew up and established himself as an artist. While he began his career as a painter, he later moved to turning vitreous materials into molded shapes and curves. Color and etching became distinctive features of his style. In the 80’s he opened his atelier in Piazza delle Conserve in Cesenatico, where he began to work with glass. He created his own collection, known for the originality and harmony of the shapes. With his innovative designs, such as “Albero”, he began to take on important partnerships with several architecture studios.

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LUCA CASAL, CINDY ALLEN, MAC STOPA, DANA GRIZWIN at Interior Design Best of Year Awards 2014.

Casali’s clients include Hotel Valadier in Rome, Ristorante Bitone, Roxy Bar in Bologna, and Pasticceria Gattullo in Milan. In 2006, Casali began a collaboration with Daniele Merini, architect and designer from Studio Mark Associate in Milan, with whom he designed furniture and structures, using glass as a true protagonist in interior design. Since 2014, he has worked with Mac Stopa, founder and designer at Massive Design, a multiaward-winning studio that specializes in interior architecture design.

MAURIZIO CASALI, Designer, Founder and CEO of Casali

LUCA CASALI, Casali’s Manager and Marketing Director

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ALBERO by Maurizio Casali

Glass and Eco-sustainability

CASALI’S TREE OF LIFE: THE ‘TREEDOM’ PROJECT

Casali’s products reflect the evolution of glass and its forms. As a noncrystalline amorphous solid, glass has been around for centuries and is still one of the best known modern materials in architecture. Its beauty is in its transformative nature which can be used in various fields.

Casali’s philosophy of respecting the environment can be seen in their latest project: ‘Treedom’. With every purchase of their ‘Tree’ design, Casali plants a tree in Southern countries to support environmental sustainability and improve its impact on social and human welfare. The project aims to encourage responsible and conscious consumerism among the local population.

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, glass is recyclable, which works to preserve our environment. Glass used in design and architecture creates a more harmonious space, as it integrates with other structures more seamlessly. It also lets light move more freely, brightening and improving the living space. This also reduces the use of artificial light and other unnatural energy sources, delivering on energy savings and physical wellness brought in by natural light.

To learn more, visit treedom.net

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THE GRAND HOTEL WITH A HEART The Full Moon chandelier created by Parisian designer Chafik Gasmi. A single red crystal bauble amongst a thousand represents the heart of London’s 21st Century Grand Hotel.

Welcome to Corinthia London.

CORINTHIA HOTEL LONDON, WHITEHALL PLACE, LONDON SW1A 2BD, UK +44 (0) 20 7930 8181 | RESERVATIONS.LONDON@CORINTHIA.COM | CORINTHIA.COM /LONDON 82

A thousand petals in each bottle.

100% Natural.

CHANTECAILLE.COM B A R N E YS N E W YO R K

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BERGDORF GOODMAN

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N E I M AN M A R CUS

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D R . R I TA R A K K U S O N

BUILDING BEAUTY IN A BUDDING COMMUNITY

BY S HANT EL L RI CHARDSON

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PRESTIGE

behind the Rakus Cosmetic Clinic in Knitsbridge has been 26 years in the making. And when perusing the clinic’s website, patient testimonials abound for the woman who has made it all possible. That woman would be none other than Dr. Rita Rakus. Her expertise is unparalleled and as such, in high demand from the world’s most recognizable faces who entrust her skillful application of non-surgical, aesthetic treatments as a proven tool to revitalize what lies just beneath the skin’s surface. In a field of ever growing innovation and rising demand, to deliver this level of service is no small feat. Dr. Rakus knows beauty and the talent it requires to perform complex procedures while allowing the simple, natural radiance of the human visage to once again resurface.

On par with her well-earned reputation, success and mastery of skill are her warmth and drive to foster opportunities for the underserved, as a trustee of Hand in Hand International.

The objective of Hand in Hand is simple, and one Dr. Rakus describes as inspiring.“ They give people a hand up, not a hand out. They enable people to help themselves by creating businesses and jobs so that they can work their own way out of poverty.” In 2010, Dr. Rita Rakus’ initial efforts raised £15,000 (approx. $24,000 USD) to fund a two-year, multifaceted program aimed at bringing economy building institutions to the small Panchayat of Thalikkal, located in the Vellore District, Tamil Nadu of India. A village of 3314 men, women and children, Thalikkal was falling dangerously out of step with the modern age and further into poverty. Through community self-help groups, many women of the village were given the entrepreneurial training, literacy programs and financial tools needed to create and fund an impressive 166 successful family owned businesses.

While Hand In Hand’s approach to eliminating poverty helps families establish income (with potential access to larger markets), the organization also tackles the many social, medical and environmental factors that must be remedied in order to create a sustained solution to obstacles handicapping these communities. In the case of Thalikkal, the fight against child labor resulted in a 10.5% increase of the school going population, while 530 people received necessary medical attention at 4 of the health camps formed within the village. A community that was once devoid of a proper waste management system is now invested in cleaning events and farming efforts to prevent soil erosion. Volunteers and trustees with the vision of Dr. Rakus make it possible for Hand in Hand International to boast the creation of over 1.7 million businesses, 2.55 million jobs and over $359 million in microloans across Africa and Asia since its inception, proving that the true beauty in all of us is in giving.

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- I N N O VAT I O N -

A Solution TO LIVING HEALTHIER, LONGER B Y P RO F. VALTE R L O N GO

Award-winning researcher, gerontology and biological sciences professor, Dr. Valter Longo, shared his solution to living a healthier, longer life: “As the director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Sothern California (USC), I spent the last three decades of my life researching how organisms and humans age. Think about it, if we develop Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes type 2, and cardiovascular diseases at an older age, then Aging as a process and the quality at which we age are major determinants of how healthy and how long we live.

My research team at USC and I therefore launched a successful journey to find the most impactful, yet practical and natural intervention that enhances Human Healthspan (the healthy part of our life prior to disease onset) by optimizing the way we age. We discovered that fasting, done periodically, is a very powerful natural intervention that helps the body first recover from the incremental damages inflicted by unhealthy lifestyles and even more importantly, to rejuvenate its cells and systems. The main issue is that it is not easy to fast for several days and therefore, under the sponsorship of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Aging (NIA), we have developed the First Fasting Mimicking and Enhancing Diet (FMEDTM) - a healthy meal program that patients/individuals consume over 5 days while his or her body does not ‘recognize’ that it is eating, and therefore remains in fasting mode. Simply described, it is a clinically tested fasting with food program designed with real food. The meal program is called Prolon for ProLongevity.”

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PROLON:

L-NUTRA:

T H E F I R S T S C I E N T I F I C A L LY A N D C L I N I C A L LY PROVEN FOOD FOR LONGEVITY

A M I S S I O N T O C H A N G E H E A LT H C A R E

Prolon® is the first Fasting Mimicking and Enhancing™ Diet (FMEDTM) that provides you with a combination of natural foods and ingredients able to reprogram the body into a regenerating and rejuvenating mode. It has been scientifically demonstrated and clinically proven to provide the body with optimal nourishment while de-activating key pro-aging pathways. When tested in mice, Prolon extended their median healthspan by an impressive 11%. In human trials, Prolon improved multiple blood metrics such as cholesterol, triglyceride, Insulin Resistance, and C - reactive protein (CRP, a marker of inflammation). ProLon is also unique in inducing fast weight loss, driven mostly from belly fat while increasing lean body mass. No other diet selectively induces fat loss and protects or builds up muscle and bone.

L-Nutra, Inc. is a Nutritechnology company spun off in 2008 from the Longevity Institute USC, one of the leading centers for biomedical research on aging and longevity. Based in Los Angeles, L-Nutra has developed a portfolio of innovative Fasting Mimicking & Enhancing™ Diets (FMEDs™) to increase healthspan and Longevity by helping individuals and patients age healthy and delay, manage and potentially reverse age related chronic diseases, with an initial focus on metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes), cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer Disease, cellular rejuvenation and longevity.

www.Prolonfmed.com

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RALPH & RUSSO

RAISING THE BAR ON HAUTE COUTURE

BY RUTH SUTCLIFFE

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In the recent Paris Haute Couture 2016 runway shows, one of Britain’s most formidable haute couture design houses proved that they are fierce competition for the French design houses that have ruled the runways for decades. With wearable designs and styles appropriate for global tastes, Ralph and Russo’s collection has proven that their exquisite and meticulously designed dresses are the epitome of femininity and elegance. With a profusion of colors from pure white to blush pink, midnight blue to jet-black, their collection was thoughtful, intelligent, classic and appealed to a breadth of ages, body shapes and cultures. Their designs are a nod to old Hollywood, to couturiers long gone, and to the new world of elegance.

The establishment of Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo’s relationship and eventual design business began like a fairytale in 2003 when they literally bumped into each other on a London street while Tamara was on holiday. A romance ensued, and she eventually moved to London bringing with her a few gowns that she had sewn.

The gowns were quickly sold, and with Michael Russo’s business savvy, Tamara’s talent and their combined knowledge of the haute couture design market, they knew that they would establish their first luxury goods and haute couture house in the Mayfair area of London in 2007, rather than in Paris. Since, they have become one of the fastest growing couture businesses in the world, where they employ more than 100 skilled women for embroidery, draping, lacework, and fitting. Attention is paid to every detail for some of most elaborate designs on earth, and can be purchased for as much as half of a million dollars. And why? Tamara Russo’s designs are hand-sketched and then draped onto the body, where as many as 30 pairs of hands drape, pin and stich every detail and every inch of the garment, and when complete, it is a masterpiece of exquisite design.

I interviewed Ralph and Russo for this year’s ModaVIE Magazine, and to discuss which of their designs will be featured at this year’s F4D runway show at the First Ladies Luncheon:

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HOW DID YOU MEET EACH OTHER AND DECIDE YOU WANTED TO BE CO-DESIGNERS OF YOUR OWN LABEL?

TR: “It was a chance encounter during my first trip to London - we literally bumped into each other on the street and started talking. There was an instant connection; we found that we had a great deal in common and having both come from similar backgrounds, we shared a vision of building something truly unique. After identifying a clear gap in the market, we decided to fuse our talents and turn our dream of creating a luxury brand into a reality.”

WHERE WAS YOUR SCHOOLING?

TR: “From the age of 10, I’d started sketching designs and developing the traits that four generations of my family had perfected. With the guidance of my maternal grandmother - a dressmaker and cordwainer - I learnt the sartorial crafts of draping, pattern cutting and tailoring, before venturing onto Sydney’s prestigious Whitehouse Institute of Design, where I enhanced my skills for my career ahead.”

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member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture was certainly the most memorable moment. There is no greater affirmation of quality, craftsmanship and excellence in design than the recognition of couture status by the Chambre Syndicale.”

WHAT MADE YOU REALIZE THAT YOU WANTED TO BECOME HAUTE COUTURE DESIGNERS?

TR: “From a young age, I had always been enamored by the fantasy and perfection of Haute Couture; but it appealed to me especially as an opportunity to create unique gowns for wonderfully special moments and ultimately, to design looks that are eternal.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING DESIGN MATERIALS YOU WORK WITH?

TR: “Each material that we work with is challenging in its own respect, but the manipulation of materials and pushing boundaries is something that we encourage at Ralph & Russo. Each season presents a new opportunity to innovate, to develop our own fabrics, to experiment and to perfect our embroidery designs.”

MR: “We felt that there was a definite gap in the market; journalists were painting couture as a dying art that needed revolutionizing. After seeing Tamara’s unique designs and the meticulous handicraft behind her creations, I had an absolute belief that we could restore savoir faire to Haute Couture and realize our vision of building an international luxury brand.”

DO YOU SEE YOURSELF EXPANDING INTO OTHER COUNTRIES, SUCH AS CHINA, JAPAN, THE MIDDLE EAST AND RUSSIA?

MR: “Certainly, plans are currently in place to open more international boutiques, both as concessions in select department stores and as standalone stores, and each of those territories are key markets that have fallen into our global retail strategy.

WHAT NOTABLES HAVE YOUR DRESSED?

MR: “We’ve been lucky enough to dress the likes of Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, Kylie Minogue, Uma Thurman, Sonam Kapoor, Fan Bingbing and Natalie Massenet, all of whom represent the Ralph & Russo woman.”

After launching our e-commerce site earlier this year, we have felt a strong global demand; we are continually working on enhancing the customer experience by providing the relevant online and offline environments worldwide, so that every client can immerse themselves in the brand.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN YOUR DESIGN CAREER?

TR: “There have been many memorable moments along the way – showing our collections in Paris, opening our boutiques and dressing some of the world’s most idolised women. But becoming a guest

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WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?

TR: “When you are creative, you find inspiration constantly from everything that you come across. In the past, our collections have been inspired by a spectrum of sources, from art and literature, to experiences that Michael and I have had when travelling - though I must say that, ultimately, my inspiration comes from our clients themselves; each client is a wonderfully unique muse.”

FASHION 4 DEVELOPMENT’S TAG LINE IS “GIVING BACK IS THE NEW LUXURY”. HOW DOES THE RALPH & RUSSO BRAND GIVE BACK TO HUMANITY?

MR: “Sustainability; we are continually innovating and developing new techniques so that we can reduce our environmental footprint. Separate to that, we also continue to work with children’s charities, treating those that are suffering with disabilities and heart problems, in addition to supporting the global fight against cancer and a variety of life threatening diseases.

Philanthropy is certainly on our agenda; there is never too much support that can be given to such incredible causes.”

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T H E

F R AG R A N C E

KITCHEN

FRAGRANCE STORIES FROM A STORIED LIFE

BY RUTH SUTCLIFFE - the Scent Guru -

The Fragrance Kitchen (TFK) is a new luxury perfume brand that has brought innovation to the prestige perfume segment at a time when many of the top “niche” luxury brands are being purchased by global manufacturers such as Estee Lauder, L’Oreal and Puig.

TFK was first launched in 2012 in Kuwait by one of the Kingdom’s most visible and public figures, as well as one of the world’s most powerful social media stars, Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah. At the time of this writing, the Sheikh has more than 258 thousand followers on Instagram; 55 thousand (and counting) on Twitter and more than 1.6 million on Snapchat. It is through his posts on social media that fans and followers are able to glimpse into the Sheikh’s life and world travels, and keep abreast of his most recent, various business initiatives and foray into the glamorous world of fine perfume.

One cannot argue that TFK is the most successful fragrance brand to emanate from the Middle East and become an overnight sensation here in the United States.

To that end, it was no surprise to find more than a 1000 people waiting in line on the sidewalk outside of New York’s chic Bergdorf Goodman on a beautiful spring day in April for a chance encounter with the Sheikh, and to be one of the first to preview the vast fragrance collection, which is being distributed exclusively in the U.S. by Intertrade Group.

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SHEIKH MAJED AL-SABAH

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The DNA of TFK

SHEIKH MAJED credits Tom Ford – with whom he worked closely while opening the family’s Villa Moda Shopping Mall, housing the Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent boutiques in Kuwait – as an inspirational force behind the brand. But it is his grandmother he credits as being the true inspiration for TFK, and the one who, whilst watching her create customized scents in the family kitchen for gifts and special occasions, taught him how to blend creations. It was this childhood experience that led him to eventually strive to create his own line of fragrances based on his life’s experiences. As the Sheikh states, “Wearing and creating fragrances are part of our family’s DNA.” While TFK’s vision is ‘spreading the dedication to beauty, art and refined fragrances’, it is the memory of, and an homage to his grandmother, for which this brand’s heritage tells its story. And what beautiful stories they tell!

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C R E AT I N G F O R G L O B A L TA S T E S

it’s what’s in the bottle

As an avid and tireless world traveler, a sensitivity to the olfactive and cultural tastes around the world has served as a catalyst for envisioning his collection.

While the Sheikh is the creator of blends, he enlisted master perfumers in Grasse to formulate and produce his blends with some of the most precious raw materials in the world for its commercialization. To best describe it, the TFK brand consists of 49 formulas that are categorized within two collections using the same signature 100 ml. heavy weight bottles: “The Exclusives” in black ($225 retail), and the “My Collection” in white ($325 retail).

Within each category, we find various themes such as “Feelings”, that consists of light, fresh, and soothing scents called “Dreamy” and “In Love”; The “Fabric Collection”, inspired by the textiles and designs for caftans that include “Merry Poplin”, “Satin Society”, “Shrewd Silk” and “Velvet Aura”. Olfactively, all have fresh top notes, but all dry down to a much darker background.

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Any collection must include a rose, so TFK has five to satisfy any taste, and the names are fun and playful: “Son of a Rose”, “War Of The Roses”, named by his daughters, and is formulated with four different natural roses including the Sheikh’s favorite Taif rose; “Rose Punch”, “Fly Me To the Rose” with a delicious raspberry top note that made my mouth water and is one of the most popular and recent introductions, and finally, “Rose With A View”. Which one is my favorite? I happen to have fallen for “Son of a Rose” that is romantic, with a musky sensuous background.

During my two visits to the TFK counter, I found myself mesmerized by the artwork for the bottles.

Some are etched with the visage of people; one, for instance, features the image of Frida Kahlo, called “Self Portrait” – its scent has a predominant theme of a rich and unforgettable presence of galbanum that took me back to some classic perfumes that I have always admired such as Chanel 19, Norell, and Fidji. Other bottle facings feature beautiful, elaborate and meticulously designed black and white etchings of various motifs, like the one on the musky scent that I am obsessed with, “Musky Ever After”.

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Fairy Tales, Memories, and Themes

Many of the stories and names for the fragrances were written by the Sheikh’s daughters, such as “War of the Roses” and “Naughty Patchouli”, but he also works very closely with his creative team to dream up fresh concepts for this vast collection, based on his memories and experiences. For each scent, there is a story, and one is as mesmerizing as the next. Take, for instance, the story behind “Musky Ever After”: it leaps out from the pages of a love story between two villagers from rival hamlets. To keep their secret, the two lovers meet at nightfall in a shadowy forest nestled between the settlements. Each night, without a sound, they move silently together through the trees and at daybreak, they slip back to their separate lives. When their love is exposed, the girl’s family leaves with her to keep the lovers apart. She returns many years later searching the woods for her love. She wanders for days and just when she thinks her love is lost, she catches a faint, delicate fragrance on the breeze. She knows the scent well, and follows, hope filling her heart. In the light that filters through the canopy, she sees her love. With his hand outstretched, he beckons her to join him in their forest once again.

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Another favorite scent that I will continue to wear is called “Ambrosia”, that is a long-lasting, and absolutely breathtaking fragrance with its masterful blend of florals and soft sensuality. It is so captivating that when my head hit my pillow after a full day of wearing it, its soft soothing dry down gave me nothing but beautiful peaceful thoughts as I fell into a deep sleep.

When asked which scent was the Sheik’s favorite, he replied “Arab Spring,” which must not be misunderstood for the Arab Spring uprisings that started in Tunisia in the latter part of 2010, but rather for flowers that bloom in the spring time – white lilies, lily of the valley and gardenia are at the heart of the fragrance. Here is its story:

It’s the entire experience that counts

It is refreshing to have a new luxury fine fragrance brand introduced within a category of fragrances that are quickly becoming saturated. What is special about The Fragrance Kitchen is that there are truly very interesting stories behind each and every fragrance composition. And stories matter; whether the memory of a place or experience in the world that one can identify with, or a fantasy tale that transforms our imagination, we fragrance lovers are never too weary of being able to wear and experience a new high quality, luxury scent.

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HAUTE CUISINE HAUTE CUISINE HAUTE CUISINE

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HAUTE COUTURE

by Chloe.

BY SHANTELL RICHARDSON With a menu as surprising as it is healthy, ‘by CHLOE’ co-founders Chloe Coscarelli and Samantha Wasser are championing a new standard of vegan cuisine, quickly winning over omnivores and carnivores alike. The young entrepreneurs very cleverly sets their fare apart by challenging it to be noteworthy amongst all food. To be deemed successful solely within the parameters of vegan options is a comfort she does not allow herself. While many vegan recipes have typically been considered just palatable enough to tolerate the absence of animal by-products, ‘by CHLOE’s creations are edible examples of a gift to surpass expectations by setting goals far beyond existing standards.

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HAUTE COUTURE

CHLOE COSCARELLI and SAMANTHA WASSER

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HAUTE COUTURE

There is no better proof of this than the line of patrons who have become a constant presence at ‘by CHLOE’, the charming village eatery serving up inventive, healthy and heartily satisfying vegan dishes. To customers, the ‘by CHLOE’ team has tapped into a special brand of alchemy, through which she is able to magically blend ingredients into experiences that have patrons under a spell. In servings of the signature Mac n’ Cheese dish, cashews and sweet potatoes are combined to expertly mimic the savory cheese flavors found in the traditional comfort of this beloved staple. Features like the ridiculously popular Guac Burger make it especially easy for non-vegan patrons to enjoy the experience with more fun than fear.

From her historic win as the first vegan chef on “Cupcake Wars” to her numerous appearances on daytime television, watching chef Chloe share her knowledge with the world, you can’t help but think her bubbly, passionate, easy going nature is a direct result of her dedication to a diet that is equally light and energizing. And although fun, chef Chloe is serious about the bigger picture: sustainability. By using locally sourced ingredients to contribute to a healthy planet, she is in fact compounding the reduced carbon footprint that often already accompanies a vegan lifestyle. This year, the women of the First Ladies Luncheon will have the pleasure of delighting in the by CHLOE team’s special work as many others will come to do with ‘by CHLOE’s continuing expansion in cities like New York, Boston and Los Angeles.

Butter, milk and all other animal by-products have been permanently removed from ‘by CHLOE’s culinary toolbox, but who needs them when you’ve got a whole new bag of tricks the world is waiting to try?

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HAUTE COUTURE

L E A D I N G L A D I E S B Y P H O T O G R A P H E R FA D I L B E R I S H A

Powerful. Glamourous. Sophisticated.

Spirited. Compassionate.

MARTHA STEWART is an American businesswoman, writer, and television personality, mother and philanthropist.

M A RT H A’ S F O U N D AT I O N The mission of the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Foundation is to ensure families realize their potential - personally and professionally - by supporting organizations that enhance the lives of women, nurture and protect children, foster good nutrition, and respect nature.

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SHARON STONE is an American actress, film producer, former fashion model, mother and philanthropist.

Sharon is the spokesperson for the American Foundation for AIDS Research; she supports countless charities from St. Jude Children’s Hospital to Habitat for Humanity and U.S. Doctors for Africa, to name a few.

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HALLE BERRY is an Academy Award winning actress, film producer, former fashion model, mother and philanthropist.

H A L L E ’ S F O U N D AT I O N , Halle’s Hope, is dedicated to building hope and creating possibilities for children and families to reach their truest potential. By providing the resources needed, her foundation spreads the hope that anything is possible.

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OUR MISSION IS TO

INSPIRE

THROUGH OUR SUCCESS,

A FUNDAMENTAL

SHIFT TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

IN THE PAPER INDUSTRY.

greenhouse

trees saved the following water resources by using energy solid waste made with ModaVIE magazine 6,816 pounds of Reincarnation, 100% gases recycled fiber and 100% post-consumer waste and manufactured with electricity that is offset with Green-eÂŽ certified renewable116,860 energy certificates.

25 112 7,823 21,547 greenhouse

fullytrees grown

water gallons

energy Million BTUs

25 fully24 grown fully grown

116,860 gallons 11,307 gallons

112 Million 11BTUs Million BTUs

trees

water

energy

solid waste pounds solid waste

7,823 pounds 757 pounds

Paper with a Past, and a Future.

115

gases pounds greenhouse gases 21,547

pounds 2,085 pounds

4

Time

Action

NAOMI CAMPBELL speaking at F4D’s 2015 First Ladies Luncheon 116

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SUSTAINIA LIVING IS THE NEW FASHION B Y E VA - M A R I E P R A G

A new sustainability consciousness is taking hold.

Living sustainably has moved away from the fringes and is taking over the fashion world, as a way for conscious consumers to shape their own lives and the world they want to live in – at least theoretically.

Because while many of us now have the awareness of needing to live sustainably, making sustainable choices is difficult and often too complicated to fit into our increasingly busy lives. As a result, the gap between our aspiration to live more of a balanced life respecting our planet, and the reality of modern living can seem ever wider.

The new innovation platform, Sustainia Living, seeks to close this gap. As a tool for consumers and producers alike, it is being developed to demonstrate, co-create, and communicate the benefits and possibility of sustainability as the way forward to a healthier you in a healthier world. Safeguarding the planet depends on each of us making better choices – because what we eat, how we live, and what we wear impact the planet and those we share it with.

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WHERE WE’RE AT At this point, we can no longer claim not to know the truth: the way we live must change – for the sake of the planet and future generations who are going to inhabit it. This awareness started with the Brund-tland Commission on Sustainable Development in 1992, and with the adoption of last year’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, the endpoint is obvious: we need a new way of living that recognizes the scarcity of our resources and the fragility of our ecosystems. We need to redefine “the good life” as one that takes the planet into account.

But how do we get there?

First, we need to recognize what isn’t working. By living in a way that does not reflect our growing understanding that what we give and what we take must add up, we are making the planet uninhabitable. The evidence is mounting up, with 5.5 million people dying yearly from air pollution, while island nations are drifting into the rising seas. The sorry state of our planet comes down to many of the choices we make every day. For example, our industrial food systems now account for up to fifty percent of green-house gas emissions – and only about a third of all the food produced worldwide ever reaches a human mouth.

80 billion pieces of clothing are currently produced every year. That’s 400% more than just 20 years ago.

The problem is systematic, and the solution must be, too. We need a new mindset to turn things around.

We must change the way we organize our societies and run our businesses – and perhaps the most important change of all starts with the choices each of us makes every day. We each have a stake in the fu-ture we want, and by making better choices we can do good not only for ourselves, but for the planet.

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THE FUTURE IS ALREADY HERE

A NEW AESTHETIC

Imagine living in a building that is in harmony with its surrounding nature, where the resources you use are purely renewable. Imagine what it would be like to know that your clothes were made responsibly without poisoning rivers and ecosystems, and that the food you consumed was fresh and locally sourced, even if you lived in a huge city. Imagine a place where making sustainable choices was easy, and being part of a community that shares your hope for a greener future.

Architecture, food, fashion. These are all part of the most basic aspects of how we live, eat, and dress ourselves – but they are also what makes life most fun and beautiful. By reimagining how to approach these most fundamental aspects of our everyday experience, we can create better lives for ourselves and a better world. Inspiring and motivating individuals to be conscious consumers, to develop conscious brands, and to adopt conscious business practices is the goal of Sustainia Living.

All of this is possible, and there are pioneering initiatives around the world to prove it. From supermarkets combatting food waste by selling discarded products at lower prices, to designer shoes made from ocean waste, we are witnessing a budding revolution.

Behind the revolution are pioneering minds who see scarcity as a reason to innovate and understand that sustainability and a fun and fashionable lifestyle do not have to contradict one another – quite the opposite.

The most visionary innovators have not produced what people wanted; they have created a new need. The smartphone has revolutionized the way we interact with each other and the world around us – it doesn’t respond to most of the demands consumers had ten years ago. The best innovations give us a world we had not imagined was possible.

With the new platform, Sustainia Living, we want to help open your eyes to the sustainable revolution and become part of it. We want to find the individuals who are leading the way, enable knowledge sharing and the co-creation of a new mindset and a standard of living built around sustainability. By joining, you are not only learning how to make better choices, you are also building the momentum towards a better future.

Sustainia Living is a collaboration between Sustainia and Fashion 4 Development. Sustainia is part of the leading Scan-dinavian think tank, Monday Morning and has built the world’s largest platform for sustainable solutions, with followers in more than 100 countries, and works closely with UN Global Compact. Fashion 4 Development is a private sector global platform that supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by harnessing the power of the fashion and beauty industries and implements creative strategies for sustainable economic growth and wellness.

To change the world, we need everything from blueprints for sustainable cities to new circular business models. But most importantly, every single person has to adopt a new mindset - this is what Sustainia Living is helping to build by putting the lens on the individual choices we make.

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SEE ME

H EA RT S HA PED, FAIR T RADE , HAND MADE CATERINA OCCHIO, SeeMe Founder.

Photography by GIOVANNI GASTEL

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SEEME IS THE ONLY FAIR TRADE VERIFIED BRAND IN THE MIDDLE EAST. All of its pieces are handmade by women who have been victims of violence.

By wearing the heart, SeeMe clients join the #heartmovement – a worldwide movement that aims to replace violence with love. SeeMe is the only fair trade verified brand in the MENA region. It has been selected as a pioneer in ethical fashion by the Ethical Fashion Forum in London and is part of UN Ethical Fashion Initiative.

SeeMe, while still being a young company, has achieved a lot. In fact, on top of being a safe option and source of income for women victims of violence in Tunisia and Lebanon, it also strives to positively influence the established brands in the fashion world, supporting an ethical approach to their sourcing procedures.

SeeMe has collaborated with worldwide, renowned fashion brands such as Karl Lagerfeld, for whom it created a beautiful capsule collection, as well as with Missoni and Tommy Hilfiger for the latest Spring Summer collection. Featured

by Vogue Germany, Maire Claire Italia, L’Officiel, Glamour Italia and Vogue International, to name few, SeeMe hearts are worn by the likes of Suzy Menkes, Sarah Burton, Angela and Rosita Missoni of Missoni, and Laudomia Pucci.

Premium retailers include: Colette in Paris, Gallerie Lafayette, Luisa via Roma in Firenze and Excelsior in Italy.

In 2016, SeeMe created the Orange Heart, selected as the signatory piece for the 20th anniversary of the UN Trust Fund to end violence against women.

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T H E S T O RY SeeMe was born while walking through the souks and back streets of the Middle East. After almost two decades of reporting on women’s conditions in the Middle East and North African regions, Caterina Occhio, SeeMe’s founder, decided to take matters into her own hands. Through her experiences and travels she, unsurprisingly, discovered that being a single mother in the region equals being unsuitable for work, for marriage and for society. SeeMe was therefore born as a safe haven, training center and workplace for women, otherwise deemed lost.

THE CAUSE SeeMe employs women, often single mothers, who have suffered violence and were ostracized from their communities. Through training, SeeMe women learn the craft of jewelry making following ancient Tunisian techniques. Therefore, while fostering their country’s traditions, they also secure a workplace for themselves and a future for their families.

T H E S TAT E M E N T Sparking a revolution in both the fashion and the fair trade worlds, SeeMe has successfully combined the two and made a product that feels good on the body and soul.

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CATERINA OCCHIO, SeeMe founder Caterina Occhio is a former development aid manager with over 15 years of experience supporting employment and institutional reform.

She worked extensively for the European Commission, different UN agencies and from 2002, she specialized in the socioeconomic integration of women. In 2007, she became the secretary-general of the SEED Foundation and led two projects for socio-economic insertion of battered women in Turkey. In 2010, she was EU Policy adviser in social inclusion for the new employment strategy in Tunisia.

In her quest to help and improve women’s conditions in the MENA region, in 2013, Occhio took a leap of faith and launched SeeMe. She has been a guest speaker at the Conde Nast International conference on Luxury, and in 2015, she was selected among the most glamorous and committed women of the year by Glamour Italia.

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Being S tylish

DOESN’T

HAVE TO COST

THE EARTH

“ DO Y OU H AV E TH ES E PA N TS I N B LAC K ?” is a question that you often hear emanating from the change rooms of designers and clothing retailers. In recent months, these same boutiques and malls have increasingly become the site of queries such as “Are my fashion choices affecting the survival of one of humanity’s closest relatives?” or “Is my wardrobe destabilizing our climate?” Canopy’s campaign to ensure that the world’s endangered forests do not end up in the rayon or viscose fabric of that perfect little black dress is raising awareness of where today’s haute couture and fast fashion really originate. Fashion lovers are watching to see which designers and apparel brands join Stella McCartney, EILEEN FISHER, H&M, Levi Strauss & Co. and the other CanopyStyle champions to address this aggressively growing threat to the world’s forest ecosystems.

From the swaths of our last remaining Boreal forests of northern Canada to the vanishing tropical rainforests of Indonesia and the towering 1000 year-old cedars of the North America’s temperate rainforest, the world’s forests are being mowed down to produce fabric. 100 million trees a year are cut to manufacture pulp that in turn is made into fabric. Put end to end, those trees would circle the equator 10 times. That number is slated to double within the next decade.

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NEARLY 100 MILLION TREES DISAPPEAR

INTO THE CLOTHING SUPPLY CHAIN EVERY YEAR – A N U M B E R S L AT E D T O D O U B L E I N T H E N E X T D E C A D E .

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Orangutans, tigers, bears and millions of songbirds all call these forests home. But their homes are increasingly being turned into the latest trends on the catwalk.

Rayon, viscose, modal and other trademarked fabrics start as old-growth trees. When we feel the soft, smooth texture of rayon on our skin and admire the cut and colour of our latest acquisition it’s hard to believe this fabric started as a tree but as our demand accelerates for this year’s designs, so does the loss of the world’s last ancient forests.

and works through their supply chains with them to find, encourage and catalyze the commercial scale production of sustainable alternatives and advance onthe-ground conservation of “landscapes of hope”.

Before the CanopyStyle launch, Canopy was most famous for ‘greening’ the Harry Potter book series, where Canopy worked with author J.K. Rowling to shift the blockbuster series across onto environmental papers - saving millions of trees and setting a publishing precedent for sustainable practices. In 2011 Canopy identified a different and fast emerging threat to the world’s forests – clothing.

In just under three years, the CanopyStyle campaign has secured commitments from 65 global brands, retailers and designers and nine of the ten largest rayon-viscose fabric producers to eliminate sourcing from controversial sources and endangered forests by 2017. This movement is set to revolutionize the rayon supply chain, the fastest growing threat to the world’s magnificent tropical and temperate rainforests and boreal forests crowning the northern hemisphere.

“We subscribe to the philosophy that it’s better to build a fence at the top of a cliff than a hospital at the bottom,” says Canopy’s founder and executive director, Nicole Rycroft. “Once we realized the clothing industry was on track to become a major driver of forest loss, we engaged them to become part of the solution. We applied the same cooperative model that we’d used with publishing and printing. The big difference has been how quickly fashion brands and designers got on board with CanopyStyle. The momentum has been astounding. There is a very strong desire on the part of many fashion brands to source sustainably.”

Since publicly launching the campaign in November 2013, Canopy has built strong support amongst retailers and designers, and brought many of the CanopyStyle brands together to engage their mutual manufacturers.

As a result of this, rayon producers that represent 75% of global production have developed policies to not source from endangered forests. CanopyStyle has emerged as the fastest moving environmental initiative in the fashion sector and as rayon producers move into implementing their commitments, it sets the supply chain down a path towards being more sustainable.

One of the features of the CanopyStyle campaign to date is the breadth of support across the industry with commitments by: Retail giants such as H&M, Inditex/ZARA and Arcadia (Topshop); Heritage brands like Levi Strauss & Co. and Marks & Spencer; Luxury designers like Stella McCartney; Brands with a history of sustainable practices like EILEEN FISHER and Patagonia; and Small progressive designers. McCartney is so committed to the project that she is an official CanopyStyle Ambassador.

CanopyStyle is the brainchild of the award-winning environmental non-profit Canopy, which is devoted to protecting the world’s endangered forests by transforming unsustainable supply chains. 80% of the world’s original tracts of forests have been permanently lost to deforestation or fragmentation. Those that remain are essential for the communities and animals living in and around them - for food, shelter, and livelihoods and as massive carbon stores that aid climate stability for our planet. Canopy partners with big forest product customers, like publishers, printers and fashion brands

“Innovation is woven into the fabric of the fashion sector,” says Rycroft. “Imagine what we’ll be able to do together with designers and brands now setting their sights on how to improve their environmental performance.”

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There is a lot of work to be done before endangered forests are safe from being turned into dissolving pulp for viscose and rayon but there’s a trend amongst many fashion leaders that’s looking better and better for forests. With your support it could be the splash of the season! Support the designers, fashion and clothing brands who are already taking action and encourage your favourite brands and designers to become part of the solution. Spread the word and sign the CanopyStyle pledge at www.canopystyle.org. Together, we can ensure that being stylish doesn’t cost the earth.

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LIVIA FIRTH ADDRESSES

The Elephant IN THE ROOM

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LIVIA FIRTH IS THE FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF ECO-AGE, a brand consultancy that helps businesses grow by creating, implementing and communicating bespoke sustainability solutions.

As an Oxfam Global Ambassador, Livia has travelled to Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh and Zambia, connecting with the people at the beginning of the supply chain. She is also a founding member of Annie Lennox’s ‘The Circle’, a powerful women’s advocacy group. Livia is a UN Leader of Change and has also been recognized with the UN Fashion

At Eco-Age, we all are driven by our shared passions

4 Development Award.

to not only develop and deliver a sustainable and ethical journey, but also to add value through

Eco-Age enables businesses to achieve growth

it - no matter how seemingly insurmountable the

and add value through sustainability, and now

challenges are for a brand. Our unique expertise

delivers world beating firsts and brand enhancing

provides support and insights in building industry

partnerships with companies, brands and people

leading initiatives which have set a benchmark

who share our vision. In 2009, Eco-Age launched

for key global brands in their sustainable journeys

the Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) which has

and are now clearly seen as delivering commercial

today evolved into a powerful global communication

advantage and powerful leadership.

platform.

More than 1,200 key players from the fashion industry gathered in Denmark earlier this year for the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the fourth edition of the bi-annual meeting to discuss key sustainability issues in the fashion industry. Livia Firth returned to the stage, following her acclaimed speech in 2014 in order to “cut through the noise” of sustainability claims made by fast fashion brands. See below for Her full speech is as follows:

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“Some of you will remember that I was here two years ago.

Thank you for inviting me back and thank you for giving me this platform to share my thoughts on the recurring and pressing issues in this industry, because there remain powerful global players with vested interests in the status quo. They would like us to believe that all is well in the supply chain, especially with the garment workers.

That is sadly not the case.

I return to this platform again today, because If you weren’t here, my heated (and somewhat

we cannot and we must not draw a veil over the

colorful) exchange on living wage with brand

deaths of 1334 garment workers in Bangladesh.

representatives is preserved for posterity in The True

Especially when major brands move on across the

Cost , Andrew Morgan’s powerful documentary on

world to Cambodia, to Myanmar and to Ethiopia,

the impact of this industry.

exporting

the

same

model

without

systemic

change.

Ideally, two years on, we would be looking at a reformed industry, wondering why we ever

That was not the agreement. That was not the

needed to debate essential rights.

intention. And that must not be the sum-total of our ambition.

Tragically, we remain very far from that position.

So we find ourselves - as advertised - attending I return today to report that there has not been

the world’s largest conference on sustainability

substantive progress in this industry.

and fashion. Sounds impressive doesn’t it?

But remember size and might do not equal systemic change. It takes much more than that.

So it is simply not enough for us to tick the box to say we came here and we listened politely.

That will leave us in the same position we are now…

Nearly three years ago, some of the biggest brands in the world committed to improving working conditions by signing the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety. Three years on, and despite growing profits and market share, some of those brands have still not made their strategic supply factories safe.

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this industry almost as much as I hear the word ‘sustainable’, but let me tell you that the fast fashion version of development - and this is me being charitable - slightly lacks credibility. It is growth masquerading as development. And we should not be fooled by this.

Of course it’s not just Sustainable Development Goals that the global community has decided are fundamental to people and planet.

I would imagine that most of us here believe in the The sad fact is, this industry remains more

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is, after

comfortable picking low hanging fruit - by focusing

all, one of the greatest international agreements

on token “green” initiatives - than on dealing with

ever achieved.

human exploitation in the supply chain.

As Hannah Arendt put it, it enshrines the ‘right to If you, in your heart, like me, believe this is not

rights’.

an acceptable position, I ask you to be more courageous. And that starts with the elephant in

Let me read you some parts of Article 23.

the room…

Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of Nothing - nothing - will ever change while fast

employment, to just and favourable conditions of

fashion and its current business model stays as it

work.

is. That is, producing huge volumes of clothes, in incredibly fast cycles, very cheaply. That is, by

Everyone, without any discrimination, has the

continuing to addict US to an even crazier cycle

right to equal pay for equal work…. Ensuring for

of consumption, which is totally unsustainable in

himself (and importantly, in this industry, herself) -

itself.

and their families – an existence worthy of human dignity.

You are going to hear the word ‘sustainable’ countless times during this summit. So many times in fact that it could be in danger of becoming meaningless.

But the word ‘sustainable’ does mean something.

It

is

enshrined

as

part

of

the

sustainable

development goals. And we must not forget this.

Sustainable Goal number 8 is “to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all”.

Now, I hear ‘development’ bandied around

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LIVIA FIRTH at the rubbles of the Rana Plaza garment factor y in Bangladesh

Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions

Through this lens, we can see real opportunity.

for the protection of their interests.

Yes, this industry with its swirling supply chain and millions of contributors across the world is bursting

And how do you feel when you hear on the news that

with possibility.

a nation state has violated the Declaration? I suspect, like me you feel sick to the stomach.

I hardly need to stress this - when so many people here are familiar with sizing systems - but it’s not a

Because we do NOT buy the idea that these enshrined

one-size-fits-all opportunity like we’re often led to

rights can be manipulated… or that there are special

believe, especially by the mega-brands who are

cases when it’s OK to ignore them.

taking over our high streets.

Fashion - our industry - is certainly not a special case.

It would be easier, it’s true, to accept the status quo, or to believe the growth-first model as a

I would ask you to view this industry through this lens.

solution. But it is time to acknowledge that the current model - with a few band aids - cannot

When you do, it’s clear that we can only accept

adequately deliver the change needed…

systemic change.

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LIVIA FIRTH speaking at Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2016

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We must cut through that noise.

Because the impact, the pace, the volume and the economics pre-ordained by this current business model - will not get us to the point we want to get to: one where producers are in partnership with brands, rather than in servitude to them.

And in the interests of cutting through that noise - I have partnered with the Lawyer’s Circle, a powerful organization of lawyers, on a new initiative to establish legal accountability in this sector.

We will soon publish a study: a study that will set out the legal case for a living wage as a fundamental human right; a study that will explore the legal options for setting a global standard for a living wage.

For those in this industry - so many of you here - who are willing to be courageous, I hope this study will give you the architecture for the change we dream of.

And for all of us - in civil society - it’s time for us to be active consumers and active citizens. We can’t continue to demand change until we challenge the pace of thoughtless consumption which the fast fashion brands have dictated to us.”

Next time we have this conversation,

I BELIEVE IT CAN BE DIFFERENT.

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protect. partner. promote.

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EARTHCOLOR

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Earthcolor.com • 973.884.1300

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THE 2016

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE H A N D B A G AWA R D TH E 10TH ANN U AL IN DEPENDENT HANDB AG DESI G NER AWARDS IN NEW YORK CI T Y

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JACQUELINE SURIANO IS AN ETHICALLY DRIVEN HANDBAG COMPANY that focuses on its unique designs and excelling in its handcraft and overall good quality.

THE COMPANY My home country, El Salvador, is a nation afflicted by violence and gang related problems.

I truly believe that, in order to break the cycle of violence, we have to create opportunities for newer generations. At Jacqueline Suriano, we do so by providing jobs for young adults who are looking for a better future for themselves and their families, through our own workshop comprised of local artisans. I believe that the passion and craftsmanship of every artisan adds to the uniqueness and value of each bag we create.

At the moment, I am in discussions with the NGO on an alliance that would ensure a percentage of the profits of each Jacqueline Suriano bag will go to supporting a oneyear program that teaches young adults in El Salvador different sets of skills. In doing so, young adults discover where their strengths lie, which will in turn help them hone their skills and find a job in order to do in order to create a better future for themselves.

Looking forward, I do not only intend to donate money, but also get involved in the program by teaching what I know as a way of helping young adults motivate themselves to find their passion and happiness.

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THE BAG The Felipa bag is made out of cowhide leather, embossed with a python print that is woven with a mixture of leather and fabric, made by women in a town called San Sebastian. The bamboo is also processed and

artisanally

created by young men in the area. The pentagon bag is a Jacqueline Suriano signature bag that represents her multiple-culturism, the combination of which is the inspiration behind this unique and artistic bag.

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EVIE EVANGELOU presents the F4D Socially Responsible Handbag Award, June 2016

THE DESIGNER Jacqueline Suriano is of Chinese descent, born

Design at Parsons New School of Design.

in Washington DC, and raised in Guatemala

After graduation and interning with different

and El Salvador. Growing up, she always had

companies, she decided to start her own

a mixture of cultures and influences from both

company based in El Salvador with the sole

sides of her family, her mother’s side had always

mission to show the world what Salvadorans

motivated her toward art and her father’s side,

are capable of, and help the development

more on the business and entrepreneurial

and growth of young adults that are looking

side. Having developed an appreciation for

for a better future.

both subjects from an early age, she decided to study art and pursued a BFA in Fashion

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League of Gentlemen CHRIS COLLINS Co-Founder, League of Gentlemen 143

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The League.

Through their respective crafts and endeavors, they have shown raw vulnerability, demonstrated unwavering dedication and grace under pressure, and how circumstance can be the catalyst for success or an opportunity lost. But what defines the character we see when a rule is undefined? When the formula for a crowd pleasing performance is traded in for a rally cry against poverty and destruction, what are we left to receive?

B Y S HAN TELL R IC H AR DSON

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Leonardo

DICAPRIO

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A C T O R A N D C L I M AT E C H A N G E A C T I V I S T Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar acceptance speech has been viewed millions of times and quoted in countless forums. Rightfully so, since a lesser man receiving his first Academy win would bask in ego and accolades, but with so much of the world is listening, how do you honor receiving their attention? The thanks you’s, the nods to noteworthy participants, although beautiful, will fade with the dimming of the theater lights. But when those sentiments are met with the ability to simultaneously convey a resounding call to action and unfiltered plea that transcends the ages, that is a gift.

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“

W

e need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity…for our children’s children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed… let us not take this planet for granted.”

DiCaprio spoke these words coated with passionate sincerity, and generously gave center stage to the climate change issues impacting our wellbeing.

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It should come as no surprise to realize that for DiCaprio, nature has been one of his most beloved big screen protagonists since childhood. In an interview with WIRED, he recounts how as a city kid from Los Angeles, he fell in love with IMAX documentaries during visits to the city’s Natural History Museum. Those images from his youth left an indelible mark. With his role in ‘The Revenant’, life has come full circle as the film is a moving homage to nature’s beauty, its dangers, its simplicity and its mystery. The demanding locations, shot in natural light and some scenes in arctic conditions, only further served to amplify DiCaprio’s dedication to preserving our planet’s resources. Since the late 90’s, when a run in with Al Gore brought the vulnerability of our eco-systems into focus for the young actor, he has used the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) he founded in 1998 to promote the protection of wildlife, the restoration of wildlands and the preservation of our oceans.

Like all gentlemen of integrity, wealth is utilized as a catalyst for positive change. With less than 3% of global philanthropic dollars getting funneled toward the environmental sector, last year alone, the LDF awarded $15 million in grants to groundbreaking conservation efforts. With ‘The Revenant’ filming at the mercy of melting snowcaps and rapidly changing conditions, DiCaprio’s first-hand experience with the imperiled state of our planet no doubt encouraged this vital contribution to activism and philanthropy. The need to reverse the effects of pollution and over consumption has given rise to creative solutions such as the LDF’s collection of private-sector investments to support the Nature Conservancy in the world’s first “debt swap,” increasing protection of the Seychelles’ waters from 1% to more than 30% by allowing the Seychelles to buy back a portion of its debt at below market value.

Through his work in films like ‘11th Hour’, DiCaprio has been thrilling us with his talent while concurrently bringing awareness to one of the great concerns facing this century. With $45 million in grants awarded to date and $40 million raised at the LDF’s annual gala held in St. Tropez, DiCaprio is out to educate influencers, policy makers and fans alike on the protection of endangered species, and the essential call to set in motion a radical chain of events needed to sustain the world as insurance for the future.

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David

BECKHAM

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F O O T B A L L E R A N D C H I L D R E N ’ S R I G H T S A D V O C AT E As if the number 7 didn’t carry with it enough good luck, David Beckham’s 2015 challenge to play 7 games on 7 continents brings a little more magic to the number’s auspiciousness. To mark his ten years as a UNICEF ambassador, Beckham set another challenge for himself. Having accomplished nearly everything a footballer can in one lifetime, this one would have nothing to do with scoring goals, winning championships or solidifying endorsements. Instead, the reward this go-round would be giving a voice to the unheard and a face to the unseen.

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In 2005, David Beckham accepted his role as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, which required him to travel the world, visiting villagers and world leaders alike in order to raise awareness of the hardships facing the world’s children. In typhoon ravaged nations like the Philippines or AIDS stricken communities in South Africa, the star athlete has harnessed the universal power of humility and humanitarianism to connect beyond the surface. Much like a footballer must take stock of and constantly assess not only his position on the field, but those of his teammates, as a UNICEF ambassador, Beckham has further honed his skills of sensing, listening and understanding the plight of his fellow man to rally a win in the fight to improve the social and educational conditions of children in impoverished nations. Taking note of the disadvantages and gifts of the young people he encounters on his journeys, 7 truly encompasses all he has done and will continue to do in this role. Through 7, David shares a spotlight normally fixed on his athletic acumen with something much greater than himself. With every match and every continent, he shows us that what will define our future is what we do to empower the next generation. He implores us to keep today’s children “safe from war, violence, poverty and preventable disease...[to] put children, especially the most disadvantaged, at the heart of the new global goals.”

In December 2015, the United Nations leaders witnessed the unveiling of UNICEF’s digital installation, the Assembly of Youth. Created by Google, the piece utilizes mobile technology and social media to bring personal messages of hope, action and inspiration from children across the globe directly to the eyes and ears of world leaders. It was at this event that David Beckham was able to convey some of his experiences over the past ten years as UNICEF ambassador, bearing witness daily to the poverty, disease and conflict that rob our children of a fair chance.

Beckham’s charity does not end with UNICEF. The star athlete puts his fancy footwork behind a wide range of causes like Malaria No More and Help for Heroes, to support injured personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. These days, the footballer is scoring more points with the public’s heart than on the field. The Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust, an organization he founded with his wife, provides wheelchairs to children in need, and since the Trust’s inception, the Beckhams have donated nearly $2 million to continue its focus on helping children worldwide.

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BONO

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M U S I C I A N A N D H U M A N I TA R I A N In so many ways, charity is a numbers game; the number of people in need versus the number of people in a position to help; the number of donations made versus the number of causes requiring attention at any given moment. The figures of poverty stricken communities, marginalized women and children or natural resources in jeopardy, appear daunting when the tally comes to a close. It’s why some of the most successful philanthropic endeavors are centered on themes of a single number.

Before David Beckham’s 7, there was Live 8, where musician Bono, in collaboration with Bob Geldof, organized a series of 8 concerts held in 8 cities around the world on the same exact day. It was an effective, ambitious tool used to symbolize and bring attention to the campaign, persuading members of the G8 to greatly increase their efforts in eradicating poverty afflicting third world countries. This is the beauty of charity mathematics, where a single number like “8” can evolve to represent the possibility for change in the lives of millions. To date, post Live 8, 36 countries have benefitted from the debt relief programs that were a cornerstone of the agenda. As a result of the attention brought to the cause by Bono’s efforts, the significant boost in aid, as well as the debt relief deal, freed-up substantial resources for African governments to direct money towards improvements in health, education, and other poverty reducing initiatives.

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Live 8 is just a single example of how the U2 frontman has transformed his microphone into a conduit for change, amplifying his call to action over sound waves so that it may reach the hearts and minds of the masses. In addition to Live 8, this expert activist co-founded DATA. The acronym held dual meanings, the first being Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa and the second being Democracy, Accountability, Transparency in Africa. It was founded as a bridge, connecting the nonprofit world and the complex branches of the political arena. DATA marked Bono’s elevated involvement and intrinsic dedication to the causes he had been championing since his foray into philanthropy in the 1980’s. It was through DATA that Bono honed his skills in advocacy, developing his signature nonpartisan approach, collecting world leaders, philanthropists and volunteers at the same table to enact sound plans and common goals. In 2007, the organization merged with the ONE campaign, electing to move forward under the name ONE. United for a singular goal, these entities would continue to address poverty not just through charity, but at its root. By garnering equality and justice for those in need, Bono had the foresight to see that policy change is a necessity in developing a sustained solution to poverty – it is the other side of the coin that ensures charity is not given in vain.

But as they say, “talk is cheap” and in 2009, Bono proved that action isn’t. By investing $20 million into the task of creating EDUN, the fashion brand he co-founded with Ali Hewson to illustrate how industry can be fostered on African soil, he respectfully challenged the logistical and economical obstacles of creating the brand with a mission to empower the people responsible for its manufacture. Initially, the resources available only allowed for approximately 37% of the collection to be produced in Africa, falling short of Bono’s initial goal.

However, it was Bono’s vision and persistence that inspired mammoth powers like LVMH to realize that humanitarianism and free enterprise can coexist to become mutually beneficial. And with 85% of EDUN now manufactured in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is proof that this approach is not only welcome, but in demand as a new standard for the future.

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GATES

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Bill

FOUNDER OF MICROSOFT AND GLOBAL PHILANTHROPIST In an interview with Forbes, Bono said of his affinity for numbers, “That’s just me pretending to be Bill… I’ve learned just to be an evidence-based activist. Cut through the crap. Find out what works…what doesn’t work. I don’t come from a hippie tradition of let’s all hold hands and the world is going to be a better place. My thing’s much more punk rock. I enjoy the math, actually. The math is incredible.” Well, the “Bill” Bono speaks of is none other than Microsoft founder and innovative billionaire, Bill Gates. Bono’s small admission reveals the unifying ideologies that put these two unlikely collaborators at many of the same tables, while bringing to life a master plan to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges.

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hat makes a man think he can achieve such a thing?

“

W

hy should a man think he can’t?”

-Bill Gates

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In fact, it was Bill Gates who made the first substantial contribution to Bono’s nonprofit, DATA, one of many acts marking his predilection to a style of advocacy philanthropy and wielding legislation as a tool, not a limitation. “We’ve said to governments, you know, if you step up and increase, we’ll step up and increase as well,” Gates recounted to CNN. His efforts almost dare governments not to act in the face of the outstanding level of generosity he has pledged over the years.

Created in 2000 and with an endowment that has reached nearly $40 billion, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has become an iconic example of visionary philanthropy. With he and his wife at the helm, the Foundation empowers its partners to approach issues on a global stage at a level never previously undertaken. Each year, billions in grants are issued to institutions with a proven record, or with the commitment to successfully use innovation to combat extreme poverty, poor health and declining standards in education.

Lest all of these matters seem too grandiose and complex to be adequately addressed, Gates ensures that there is a practicality to his efforts, allowing for solutions to be based on a “hierarchy of needs.”

In an interview with Charlie Rose, Gates recounts the illogicality of once introducing computers to an impoverished society well before basic needs like food, water and even a suitable source of electricity had been established. Although connectivity was his life’s work, he realized that it was not the work that would give life to these individuals.

Instead, he recognized another, far more important opportunity to be of assistance to those whose needs were simple, but if left unmet, could mean the difference between life and death. From supporting cross continental programs for vaccination, to increasing the affordability of nutrient-rich foods, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is at the forefront of change.

Somehow when we think of global aid, “superpowers” don’t readily come to mind, however Bill Gates has been a vocal advocate for galvanizing programs to remedy the serious issue of faltering education in America. Gates is also challenging other wealthy individuals to use the resources they’ve amassed in the same way that he has pledged to do. By enabling a high degree of transparency, others who wish to forge their own path now have the bricks, mortar, cement and blueprint to do so. With the information being shared, others can learn from the Foundation’s successes, and its failures to do better and more quickly. It is why the eradication of a disease like polio was feasible to a person like Bill Gates. What makes a man think he can achieve such a thing? Bill Gates probably asks, “Why should a man think that he can’t?”

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A WOMAN for social and economic empowerment Since its inception, F4D has united with some of the most extraordinary individuals committed to altruism, in one form or another, and Naila Chowdhury is no exception. A venerated leader in the field of social impact and economic empowerment, and long-time collaborator with Fashion 4 Development, in her new capacity as Director of Social Impact and Innovation at the University of California San Diego, she hopes to create enduring links to change.

BY N A ILA CHOWDHU RY

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“My immediate goal in San Diego is to bring

The graduation speech coincided with UC San

together change makers in order to build a platform

Diego’s commitment to promote research, education

for improving the well-being of women, girls and

and service activities that will spawn faculty and

youth through social and economic emancipation,”

student startups in the emerging field of social

shares Chowdhury, whose international contacts

ventures, such as nonprofit enterprises working

include

and

to reduce poverty, worldwide. Based on her own

Ambassadors, W4E, and Evie Evangelou, President

years of working with Yunus, Chowdhury has

of F4D. “I believe UC San Diego should be the lead

established

stakeholder in this Social Empowerment Platform,

Women4Empowerment,

which would address community problems and skills

based wellness program based on eco-friendly and

development in not just the San Diego region, but

sustainable technologies, and the San Diego-based

also in the international context, so that communities

Alliance4Empowerment, to create opportunities for

in Africa, Asia and Latin America can all benefit

women suffering from domestic violence.

members

of

Global

First

Ladies

nonprofit

organizations, to

expand

including community-

from advances coming out of the university.”

“My focus has been on helping to pull these Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohammad Yunus, a

women from an extremely low income level into a

fellow Bangladeshi with whom Chowdhury worked

sustainable income bracket and thus empower them

for seventeen years in a variety of capacities, was

economically,” explains Chowdhury. “We should

the commencement speaker for all campuses of UC

also be able to provide sustainable, technology-

San Diego this year. “Use your creative power to do

driven entrepreneurial platforms that can allow

more than just take care of yourself,” Yunus told the

young people around the world to self-organize and

Class of ’16. “There’s a wide world waiting for you.”

succeed with minimal resources.”

Yunus was the pioneer of the microfinance movement,

Chowdhury has been in the U.S. since 2011,

which began with personal loans he provided for as

when she left Grameen to become an advisor on

little as $45 to poor borrowers in Bangladesh. Some

economic empowerment, microfinance, sustainable

97% of recipients of microloans from his Grameen

development and to the United Nations Sustainable

Bank are women, and what started in Bangladesh

Development Goals (SDGs) through various UN

has now extended far and wide, including to 18

organizations. Now, she has a similar mandate,

bank branches in the United States serving more

but more specifically directed to empower students

than 65,000 borrowers (all women).

and researchers at UC San Diego to engage more 160

fully with at-risk communities and establish new

previous successes during and since her participation in

programs that will have a sustained impact on the

Yunus’s Grameen family of social enterprises. She joined

San Diego region (and by extension, the region of

the Grameenphone subsidiary in 1998 and helped

Baja California across the San Diego border with

grow it into the largest mobile operator in Bangladesh.

Mexico, creating a binational region increasingly

She was also responsible for the company’s Village

referred to as CaliBaja).

Phone project, providing grassroots support for women in remote villages who were previously unable to access

Chowdhury is based in the Qualcomm Institute, one

telecom services. Chowdhury interacted regularly with

of the largest interdisciplinary research institutes on

Yunus on the high-profile project.

the UC San Diego campus, and has been asked to work with constituencies across the campus in order

She left Grameenphone to work abroad for several

to create a platform for strategic collaborations, to

years with Telenor, the leading Norwegian wireless

build bridges and bring UC San Diego expertise,

provider. In that capacity, she worked on Telenor’s

inventions and collaborators to communities around

strategic business investments in countries that

the world. She cites, “Our mission is to drive the

were just opening up to external investment in

growth of inclusive society through global alliances

their telecom sectors (countries such as Ukraine,

and the power of collaboration.”

Hungary, Thailand, Malaysia, Denmark, Pakistan and Norway itself).

Chowdhury was recruited by Executive Vice Chancellor Suresh Subramani and appointed by UC San Diego

Eventually, Chowdhury returned to Bangladesh to

Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, both of whom have high

establish and run (as CEO) Grameen’s Solutions

hopes for social innovation on the campus based on her

Ltd. She also worked as an advisor to the Ashoka 161

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Support Network (ASN), a global community, with

connection with the UN Global Compact and UN

more than 21 years of experience and collaboration

Women, and an advisor to the Board of Khan’s

in the fields of empowerment and development.

Tutorial, which coaches, guides and helps hundreds

“Naila Chowdhury is in a unique position to

of New York-based immigrant and minority youth to

formulate partnerships at the highest level between

gain admission to top U.S. universities. Chowdhury

the university, NGOs, leaders and change-makers

also sits on the Board of Advisors of DNet Global,

worldwide,” says Qualcomm Institute Director Ramesh

a social enterprise that scales innovations globally

Rao. “We look forward to collaborating closely with

for the world’s poor.

her to the benefit of the overall campus and to help partners in the social sector around the world.”

Chowdhury sits on the Board of Directors at Athgo

Naila Chowdhury welcomes inquiries from all

International, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that

quarters and other nonprofits interested in social

engages young people in entrepreneurship and

impact,

innovation. Chowdhury is also a Global Ambassador

empowerment. She can be reached by email at:

social

enterprise

and

innovation

to promote Women’s Empowerment for Kenya’s Joyful Women Foundation, led by Her Excellency

n1chowdhury@ucsd.edu or by phone at

Rachel Ruto Chowdhury, is also a Leadership Team

202.777.3637

Member of Women’s Empowerment Principles in 162

for

THE F4D TEAM

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FIRST LADIES LIAISON

MERCEDES ALAGNA S E N I O R A D V I S O R , S O U R C I N G & I N N O VAT I O N

JEANINE BALLONE PRODUCER AND SENIOR ADVISOR, SPECIAL PROJECTS

K E L LY D A R R C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R A N D B R A N D S T R AT E G I S T

K AT H Y R U I Z SENIOR MEDIA ADVISOR

RIDA KHAN PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR

N A I L A C H O W D H U RY GENERAL CONSUL

NADINE NAJJAR E V E N T & FA S H I O N S H O W P R O D U C E R

ELEONORA QUIZMOLLI SENIOR VIDEOGRAPHER / EDITOR

TERRENCE ROMNEY FRAGRANCE ADVISOR

RUTH SUTCLIFFE P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S

A L I C E B R A C C I N I - V I O L E T TA G R O U P E X E C U T I V E A S S I S TA N T

YA N A I LYA I C H

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SPECIAL THANKS T O O U R PA RT N E R S & S P O N S O R S ACCESSORIES COUNCIL ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT FOR AFRICA AIDS LIFE BYCHLOE CANOPY CHANTECAILLE CHINA BEAUTY CHARITY FUND CHOPARD COTY DR RITA RAKUS EARTHCOLOR ECO AGE ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION EVERY WOMAN EVERY CHILD FASHION GROUP INTERNATIONAL FIRMENICH GENNY

GIVAUDAN GLAMSQUAD GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FORUM GREEN CARPET CHALLENGE HUEB INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES JOSIE MARAN SKINCARE LAVAZZA l-NUTRA-PROLON MANE USA MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN NEW LEAF OAFLA THE PIERRE AND TAJ HOTELS & PROPERTIES PRIVE BY LAURENT D

RALPH&RUSSO RESERVA RUTH SUTCLIFFE CONSULTING LLC SKIN INC ST REGIS HOTEL SUSTAINIA SYMRISE TIFFANY & CO UNILEVER VALUE RETAIL VIOLETTA GROUP VOGUE ITALIA WOMEN 4 EMPOWERMENT

GERY KESZLER HAROLD KODA DEBBIE LEVIN MELANIE LOCK MARY LOU LUTHER VALENTINO LUONGO FREDERIC MALLE VERA MANOUKIAN MARGARITA MARTINEZ BOB MAUL MARK MINEVICH TIFFANY MITCHELL SAM MUNSHANI NEVA MURTHA SONIA NDIMBIRA PATRICIA OPPENHEIMER LAVELLE OLEXA MARIA PINEDA

ELISABETTA POLLASTRI ERIK RASMUSSEN TANZILA RABB NICOLE RYCROFT LEE RIZZUTO MARY SACK ANNEMARIE SCICHILI CASSANDRA SEIDENFELD MICHEL SIDIBE KOULA SOPHIANOU KEN STOLLS RUTH SUTCLIFFE ALEXANDRA TAYLOR COUMBA TOURE VIVIAN VAN DIJK SYLVIA WEINSTOCK HELEN YARMAK

SPECIAL INDIVIDUALS NIKISHA ALCINDOR JOSEPH ANTOUN JEANINE BALLONE MARIANGELA BAVICCHI LERNER FADIL BERISHA TINA BILLE DESIREE BOLLIER SILVA BONACITO ALICE BRACCINI JILL BUCHANAN ALEX CHANTECAILLE NAILA CHOWDHURY CHRIS COLLINS MIN FAN KAREN GIBERSON MARGARET HAYES MIKE HEARN FAIZUN KAMAL

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I AM THE WAY FORWARD

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