Do Good While Looking Great

It doesn't get much simpler than this . . . you purchase an awesome limited edition designer t-shirt, you look fantastic, and money goes to some wonderful charities.

thehinitiave is a charitable design label founded in 2006 by Li Ling Ng. It provides its charity partners a different way of fundraising and raising awareness through fashion. And, the best bit is that practically all the profit from each sale goes to charity!

Fashion Fights Poverty

Fashion Fights Poverty's mission is to raise awareness for initiatives that encourage and support creative, effective, and sustainable means of challenging poverty.

Fashion Fights Poverty recognises "designers and organizations who embrace the powerful potential of creativity and design to address issues of poverty by adhering to such principles as fair trade, equitable compensation and the use of environmentally-sustainable materials."

It also promotes responsible consumerism and helps connect ethical designers and the growing population of socially-conscious shoppers.

FFP has supported some fantastic charities such as Nest, Aid to Artisans and BeadForLife.

Keep up with their good works on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace.

Sartorial Saturday: Eco Friendly Fashion Feeds the Hungry

Styles by Stiles - not just another celebrity fashion label!



The clothes might be sold out, but you can still donate to The Lunchbox Fund - a a great organization which provides impoverished children in the township schools of Alexandra and Soweto what is often their only meal of the day.

Sartorial Saturday: Eradicating Poverty One Bead at a Time

Image by NatalieMaynor via Flickr

Everyone loves gorgeous beads (go on, you know you do!) and the beads at BeadforLife are definitely gorgeous!

BeadforLife is an amazing organisation that works with impoverished women in Uganda to help lift them out of poverty. Their beaders make gorgeous handcrafted paper beads from recycled paper and turn them into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, so what was trash becomes beauty, money, food, and hope.

BeadforLife isn't just giving aid to people in need. Instead they are helping them to take some control over their lives and support themselves.

"Our goal is for our members to be independent of BeadforLife within 27 months by being able to support themselves within the Ugandan economy. To assist members in launching their own small businesses or in creating new revenue streams, we provide entrepreneurial training, facilitate savings accounts, and make business funds available.

In addition to buying and selling the beads, BeadforLife sponsors Community Development projects in health, vocational training for impoverished youth, affordable housing, and business development. These projects are supported with the net profits from the sale of the beads, and support not only beaders, but other impoverished people living in Uganda."

You can buy these beautiful beads online . . . or you can host your own Bead Party. You can also donate to BeadforLife (and 93 cents of every $1 you donate goes to community development work fighting extreme poverty!).

Sartorial Saturday: The Uniform Project

Image via Wikipedia

Who says fashion and charity don't mix? On Sartorial Saturday's I'll be bringing you the most charitable fashion on the interweb! And who better to kick things off than The Uniform Project.

1 Dress, 365 days and so far $14,105 donated to The Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots non-profit founded in Mumbai in 1990 through the volunteered efforts of college students devoted to bringing education to children living in the slums.

If you think wearing one dress all year would be dull, The Uniform Project proves it is anything but. Every day Sheena is allowed to 'reinvent' the dress with accessories, layers and other adornments. Check out the pics on flickr - you'll be inspired!

You can contribute by donating something fabulous to be worn with the dress or by making a donation to Akanksha.