Between work, family, friends and keeping up with celebrity gossip (not being sarcastic, I read every single one of those magazines at the office), we are easily overloaded with information to process and matters to prioritize. So it’s no wonder that we often overlook others’ adversity – especially when the magnitude of the injustice and  inequality makes us believe that there is not much we can do.

We’re not asking you to give up the fun, indulgent aspects of life because others are not as fortunate. I enjoy shopping and truly some purchases do make me quite happy (e.g. porcupine quill mirror, strappy Lanvin pumps – seriously, I smile when I come home to them after work).

We all work hard and have every right to indulge and spend our money as we see fit.

However, through this site, we are asking you to please keep in mind that we are all extremely lucky. For me, it’s easy to forget this as seemingly everywhere I look in Manhattan, I discover people who are smarter, more talented, more successful than I am or think I ever will be!

But, no matter how advantaged these people may be today, if – by Chance - they would have been born in an impoverished or politically corrupt country, their prospects of ever rising out of poverty would have been considerably diminished from the start.

Furthermore, due to changing demographic, environmental and fiscal dynamics (The Economist reports that rich countries will be in so much public debt by 2014 that the average government will owe $50,000 for every one of their citizens), rich countries will become less able to administer aid to poor countries and their people.

Thus, the privilege to assist these people through charity, infrastructure, trade and education will be placed in the hands of the private sector.

Companies have the responsibility to rise to the occasion. This site focuses on luxury brands because they often have unbelievable profit margins and extract precious natural resources for vanity.  But more importantly, their iconic products can quickly become not only a symbol of status, but also a symbol of humanity.

If we as consumers can shift our preferences to products with a purpose and reward philanthropic brands with our purchasing power – we can collectively make a difference.

This blog is asking you to Make Luxury Count.