Maggie’s and Orla Kiely: Top 5 Designer-Charity Partnerships

Designer partnerships are something of a new-kid-on-the-block in the fashion world, particularly those aimed at individual charities. Of course, we’ve had celebrities designing t-shirts for Children in Need and Red Nose Day for eons, but aside from those more corporate partnerships with high street chains (think Matthew Williamson or Viktor &Rolf for H&M), a partnership with a single charity rather than a large-scale annual fundraiser is a relatively rare story.

But these top 5 charity partnerships are worth their weight in gold- both for the designer’s credibility but also in propelling awareness of the charity to a global stage. Fashion with heart- its guilt free retail therapy!

1. The housing charity Shelter has invited 52 of the UK’s top artists and designers to design a playing card, for an exhibition that forms part of its House of Cards campaign. The campaign highlights the fragility of many UK households’ housing situation by depicting a collapsing house of cards, and includes designs from Alexander McQueen, Stephen Webster, Giles Deacon, Henry Holland and the infamous Vivienne Westwood.

Check out http://www.shelterhouseofcards.org.uk/ for more information.

2.When Anya Hindmarch released the iconic ‘I am not a plastic bag’ shopper in collaboration with global social change group We Are What We Do in 2007 there was a frantic scurry as fashionista’s all over the UK raced to snap them up. And with the green movement going from strength to strength, their popularity hasn’t waned- on their global release most of the limited edition totes were bought within a matter of hours, but their enduring appeal-plus the many paparazzi photographs of celebs such as Jessica Biel and Keira Knightley toting the cotton bag- ensures they’re still available and in high demand today through auction sites such as ebay.

3.The Cartier Love Charity bracelet began 30 years ago, and the past three years the global sales of the bracelet have translated to a huge $4.5 million (£2.7 million) in donations to charities. Beautiful as they are, the bracelets are aimed at the high end market only, as can be expected from Cartier. This year’s Love Charity bracelet features a mini Love bracelet in 18K rose gold with an inset diamond on knotted silk cord and retails for $700 (£423), with $150 (£90) going to one of 24 charities depending on the cord colour you choose. It’s available online and at Cartier boutiques nationwide.

4.Not technically a designer partnership but worthy of a mention purely for the momentous scale of publicity UNICEF has received from the collaboration, coming in last in our list but certainly not least is the Barcelona-UNICEF football strip deal. For a football team traditionally against any branding aside from their own, the inclusion of the UNICEF logo on the famous Barca jersey was a huge boost to UNICEF, granting them worldwide and blessedly regular publicity about their cause.

5.When Orla Keily was approached by Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres patron and TV presenter Kirsty Wark to design a limited edition bag for the cancer charity, the renowned designers answer was immediate and in the affirmative. And it was no mere token agreement, as Orla Kiely has generously agreed to donate 50% of the purchase price (after tax) from the sale of her Butterfly Stem Print bag and wallet to Maggie’s.

Sales of the bag since launch a fortnight ago have been astronomical, with the matt laminated maxi sling bag available to buy at Orla Kiely’s store in Covent Garden, London or online at http://www.orlakiely.com/

Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres receives unrestricted support from the People’s Postcode Lottery- over £723,000 to date. Find out more at www.postcodelottery.com.