Fashion and Charity - In Whose Best Interest?

Fashion and Charity - In Whose Best Interest?

Because the 1960's, the fashion world has taken a stand on numerous social causes. The antiwar movements and women's rights are only a couple of the areas where the fashion world makes strong statements. More recently, fashion has brought to assisting and speaking for individual charitable causes and in some cases, it really has been questioned just whose needs are participating.charity water in pakistan



A prime demonstration of it has been the partnership between Gucci, Prada and Armani and UNICEF; the United Nations Childrens Fund. The motivation and reasons behind this particular collaboration have already been questioned by some international groups and, perhaps most telling for the U . N ., by the very front line workers who would have the proceeds.



Senior employees of UNICEF have strongly stated their displeasure with all the charity's close ties with the industry of glamour and celebrity, saying it is actually both demeaning towards the work the UN is doing in addition to using a strong aroma of hypocrisy regarding it.



UNICEF staff in Pakistan and India have spoken from the alleged working practices in the French conglomerate PPR (formerly Pinault-Printemps-Redoute), the people who own Gucci and whose Asian suppliers have, for many years, been connected to sweatshops in Karachi and Mumbai.



One long lasting employee of UNICEF has stated that, for him, this partnership with Gucci continues to be the final straw which the feeling among workers is almost unanimous that this UNICEF name will be hurt by this undertaking.



Another problem arises using the close ties between celebrities and nearly every major humanitarian disaster. Putting up with the star and his or her entourage is bad enough, but the connection in the public's eyes between celebrity and disaster relief cheapens and degrades the entire effort, claim the front line ground workers.



The current desire of fashion companies to align themselves with charities may have more to do with covering numerous sins than to strike a chord in people's conscience, according to some. These critics say that many firms are just searching for a cause to jump on and that associating with a good cause can provide a tremendous bump for sales.



To become fair, the fact that the style industry in general and specific companies specifically reap the benefits of alliances with international charities is simply to become expected nevertheless the key will come as a result of the thought of people and the workers involved.



If both company and the charity for Pakistan gain by such an effort; fine. It really is only if the goals from the charity are seen to become compromised and the message diluted that both partners should be looking long and hard at precisely why they may be collaborating in this venture.