Joan Horning Jewelry, 100% of profits support charities of the customer's choosing.

I don’t even know where to begin in explaining all that Joan Hornig the person and Joan Hornig the jewelry company is. To date, I have not come across (and mind you, I search a lot!) another company which is so aggressively philanthropic. Maybe that’s because Joan views her company as more than just a business, but an opportunity to leave a legacy of giving in the hearts of her customers and fans. Joan donates an unprecedented 100% of profits from all of her jewelry to charities of the purchaser’s choice. And by 100% of profits, this means after the cost of materials and production, not the cost of overhead for the business.

As you can see from the images, JHJ is beautiful, colorful and inspired by nature. But, JHJ  means more than just  hand-made exquisite pieces featuring shimmering stones and precious metals (and believe me, these pictures do not do her jewelry justice). The act of purchasing and wearing a Joan Hornig piece means rising to the challenge of giving back by choosing a charity to benefit from your action and telling your friends of the special meaning behind your jewelry. Joan wants her jewelry to inspire the purchaser to “use beauty and fashion in a new way.”

Joan also wants to instill the idea of paying it forward with her customers. The designer chooses to actively participate in charity auctions and fundraisers by donating pieces to the charities of her loyal customers.

Joan Hornig Jewelry is available online and at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks in New Orleans, Neimans in Palm Beach, The Philanthropist Boutique in San Francisco and many other high-end independent boutiques across America.

On a side note, Joan Hornig, the person, is the inspiration behind this website and the inspiration behind my desire to use brand philanthropy as a means to change the world.

Joan Hornig, the designer

Actress Katherine Heigl wearing Joan's Freshwater Pearl Necklace

As we all know, the tragic earthquake in Haiti is still causing great suffering; it will take years to re-build the state’s economy and infrastructure. One of the most important matters to prioritize in the re-building is their health care system for women and children, which is exactly what this year’s Fashion for Relief aims to do through raising money for CARE.

CARE is a non-profit specializing in fighting global poverty as it affects women. Their focus is on women because women have the power to “assist their families and communities in escaping poverty.” CARE works to “improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources.” The organization also provides aid to victims of conflict and natural disasters.

This year’s show, with host Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York), will be Friday, February 12th in the tents at Bryant Park during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The event is open to the public with tickets starting around $100. You can purchase tickets online through Ticketmaster. 100% of ticket sales will be donated to CARE. The donated garments will be auctioned online through NET-A-PORTER starting February 15th.

The first Fashion for Relief event took place in 2005 to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina; it raised over $1M. Way to go!

MAC VIVA GLAM, $14 - total cost goes to MAC AIDS Fund

MAC Cosmetics has really been making a statement, and I’m not referring to their signature funky and bold make-up style.

With Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas promoting a small line of lipsticks and lipgloss called VIVA GLAM, MAC has generated $135,000,000 for the MAC AIDS Fund since 1994. Every single cent of the $14 selling price of the lipstick or lipgloss is donated to the fund. There’s a total of 8 shades to choose from (6 lipstick colors and 2 lipgloss colors).

The MAC AIDS Fund supports men, women and children affected by AIDS worldwide. The company also encourages its employees to volunteer in AIDS charities.

Fergie featured in MAC's VIVA GLAM ad campaign

Baby llama throw, $249 - all proceeds benefit Pro Mujer

What do baby llamas, a small Latin American country and blankets have in common? Well, in this particular case, the empowerment of women!

The online store Peruvian Connection sells all sorts of artisanal apparel and home decor made by Andean craftsmen using fibers native to the region. What struck me the most was this beautiful diamond-weave throw measuring 60″ x 70″. This throw is quite special not only because it is made from the first clip of the baby llama, but also because 100% of the proceeds supports the ’pro women’ (Pro Mujer) charity in Peru

Pro Mujer Peru was launched in 1999 after the successes of Pro Mujer in Bolivia and Nicaragua. The non-profit provides women in need with small loans, career training and access to health care through alliances with third-party providers. The organization also provides counseling for women dealing with domestic violence.

Why buy a snuggie when you can buy a gorgeous throw that supports a good cause?!

Also, here’s a pic of a baby llama if you’re not completely sold. So cute!

baby llama which may or may not be from Peru

I’ve been looking for a new pair of jeans lately and was desperately searching for the Rock the Cure pair from Rock & Republic. I was about to give up on finding a pair that supported a charity until I came across a small, high-end denim label called Pierce Jeans. YES- Finally!

Pierce jeans are made from organic cotton and are known for their excellent fit and washes. But what really sets this label apart from other designer denim brands is the fact that Pierce donates a ’significant’ portion of their profits to children’s charities around the world including World Vision and Kids of Kilimanjaro.

Even better, Pierce actually hand-stitches a symbol on the back pockets that signifies to which continent/country/charity the profit from the sale of that particular jean is supporting.

Founded in 2006, Pierce already has a small celebrity following including A-listers such as Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez (ok so what if some of those names are B-listers).

Peace-Keeper nail polish, $8 - 100% of after tax profits support human rights and women's charities.

Ever wonder why Manhattanites get their nails done on a weekly basis? It’s cheap and adds an instant touch of luxe. Although now we can also justify this ritual to our ‘HABs’ (husbands and boyfriends) by adding that it’s supporting a good cause!

Peace-Keeper ‘Cause-Metics’ sells this great, environmentally-friendly nail polish partly and donates 100% of after tax profits to human rights and women’s charities. According to their website, they have given a total of $55k+ to charities in cash and donated around $30k  in-kind to support charity events and auctions.

The Wittelsbach-Graff was featured on the cover of the 196-page, hardcover coffee table book, The Most Fabulous Jewels in the World. Published in 2007, the book retails for $150; all of the proceeds are donated to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.

The Children’s Fund focuses on children’s causes around the world. Homelessness, abuse, early childhood development, orphans and refugee children are just some of the issues the fund prioritizes. The fund also supports development of the  Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital located in Gauteng, South Africa.

"The Most Fabulous Jewels in the World," $150 - 100% of profits benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

Linea Pelle Alyssa Clutch, on sale for $98 - 50% of proceeds go to either UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders (your choice).

We all know the celebrities have come out en masse to support the awful earthquake in Haiti, so it’s about time luxury caught up! Leather goods brand Linea Pelle is generously marking down the prices of a selection of its handbags and giving 50% of the profits to your choice of charities – UNICEF or Doctors Without Borders.

The selection is quite limited, but I think the Alyssa Clutch (featured in the image) is a winner and it’s half off!

Founded in 1946 in response to the desolation caused by WWII, UNICEF - United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund – is the world’s leading advocate for children, with programs in over 190 countries. Focusing on practical ways to alleviate the symptoms of poverty and devastation, UNICEF works to secure children’s universal human rights as outlined by the UN.

Founded in France in 1971, Doctors without Borders is an international medical non-profit providing humanitarian and emergency care to people in over 60 countries affected by desolation, armed conflict and epidemics.

Women’s Wear Daily published an interesting interview this week with Charity: water’s Scott Harrison about luxury brands’ role (right now and in the future) in world-wide philanthropy.

Here is an excerpt:

WWD: How have your collaborations with fashion companies helped?

S.H.: Our most successful campaign has been with Saks Fifth Avenue. [Since 2008, the retailer has sold $5 rubber bracelets at various outlets, with 100 percent of proceeds going to Charity: Water.] We raised about $700,000 — enough to bring clean water to 140 communities. You’ll see us continue to do more with Saks. We’ve done stuff with Miss Sixty. We did a great campaign with Theory that raised $80,000 for Ethiopia.

WWD: How would you characterize the fashion industry as opposed to another group in terms of fund-raising?

S.H.: I think the fashion industry has very high standards for the kinds of organizations that it’ll support. I think that might hint at why we’ve been successful. When we started this, design was so important to us. Just because we’re a charity, why should our Web site look bad? Our attention to detail, to design, using large-scale photography [has helped].

WWD: How important are products and merchandise?

S.H.: It’s not a huge part of the bottom line, but it’s really important for awareness. We’d like to work with more brands. I think there’s a merchandising piece that we’ve started to explore with Saks but there’s a lot more. We haven’t really gone to full scale.

To read about what Monique Pean, Swarvoski and Saks have done specifically for Charity: water, click here.

It’s so great to hear about the real results of what luxury can do for a charity and what we as consumers can start just by shopping!

Jimmy Choo, the third member of the shoe triumvirate (Jimmy, Manolo & Christian) has joined the others in creating a line for charity.

Choo has partnered with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to support the Simelela Rape Center in South Africa  by donating 25% of all proceeds from his new line to the center.

The iconic collection, dubbed Project PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), includes handbags, flip flops, sandals, flats, bracelets and accessories. All products feature a collage of signature Jimmy Choo details like snakeskin, leather, grommets, graphic artwork and Choo’s label.

The fun and flirty sandals, featured on the model in the image above, are available at Saks for $975.

The Simelela Rape Center was created to address the physical and emotional needs of rape victims in its South African community. Sexual violence is a huge problem there and Simelela offers hope to women in their darkest hour providing post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV transmission prevention and trauma counseling.

Jimmy Choo Project PEP collection, prices range from $95 for flip flops to $995 for a large handbag - 25% of proceeds support the Simelela Rape Center in South Africa