Fashion and luxury can be great tools to raise capital for social/humanitarian causes, however, oftentimes in an effort to appeal to sensitivity and compassion, the images used have no connection to the actual items but everything to do with the cause they ‘re supporting. It’s like seeing a save the shildren, or prevent animal abuse commercial that just happens to play right after a religious program.
One can say that showing the raw living conditions of an impoverished country brings reality and hopefully compassion to the viewer and prospective consumer, but what also happens is that these images also can create a sense of guilt, an uneasiness that can propel action but also limit the interaction of the consumer with the offered product.
As controversial as this might sound while I believe in the goodness of humankind, not every consumer will be touched by every cause, or need be presented with the graphic images associated with the cause. Luxury is about status, indulgence and also craftsmanship . The emotions connected to luxurious beautiful items can be revisited over and over again, hence my appreciation for Vhernier’s “Haiti” Ring, whose sleekness of design and presentation is a great example of fashion and luxury with a social component that is implied but not forced. The consumer is seduced by the beauty of item and sometimes that is enough. Each ring purchased will provide a year of tuition for a child at St. Luc Street School and The Academy for Peace and Justice in Haiti. Purchasing info here.
