Fashion Industry Philanthropy

Seems like everyone has an opinion on the latest, high-profile celebrity gigs benefitting Africa which include the "I Am African" campaign created by the model Iman and "Project Red" headed by Bobby Shriver and U2 lead singer Bono.  What's more interesting is the unapologetic way these proponents retain a straight-up profit component to their campaigns. 

According to an article entitled, "Dressing Up in the Latest Fashionable Cause?" in the Washington Post:

Shriver says the Gap offered to create a single item whose sale would wholly benefit AIDS eradication. He declined. "I hope the people working in these companies, I hope the people in the Gap, have enough Red profits to buy a house in the Hamptons," he says. Shriver wanted companies to have a selfish, dollars-and-cents reason for revving up their formidable advertising and marketing machines.

Iman, who has just been honored by Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year for her AIDS work added, "...celebrities can do something for Africa, why should I care what their agendas are?"

In another time, that kind of talk would have enabled the "Nonprofit Sector Police" to gut a charitable campaign.  Today it is yet another signpost pointing to the end of philanthropy as usual.

Susan Herr