Frankly, there are pressing issues that are much more important than fashion—global poverty, environmental degradation and a host of sociopolitical issues; sorry Wilhelmina Slater, but fashion and style aren’t always the most important things in the world. Since the fashion industry is perhaps one of the most extravagant and arguably most frivolous in the world, it’s always refreshing to see designers giving back.

Versace: Donatella Versace is known for creating figure-hugging (and revealing) gowns for Hollywood’s sexiest ladies, but she’s also the founder of Art Unites, a global initiative aimed at improving the emotional well-being of needy children. This past July, Versace sent 1,400 children blank white canvases and art supplies with just one creative direction—to draw the theme of friendship. These drawings were shipped back to the Versace atelier in Italy, where they were fashioned into one-of-a-kind Versace totes (each with a hang tag giving the child designer’s name and age). All proceeds from these bags will be donated to the children’s charities: Jet Li’s One Foundation (which supports centers for children of last year’s earthquakes in Sichuan, China) and Starlight Children’s Foundation (a virtual support network for seriously ill children and their families.Gucci: Since 2005, Gucci has teamed up with UNICEF to support programs for orphans and children affected by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 12 million children have lost one or both parents to the disease. Each year, creative director Frida Giannini designs an exclusive accessories collection dedicated to the Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF and designates a special group of products from which a percentage of sales are donated to UNICEF. Collectively Gucci’s total commitment to UNICEF to date reaches over $7 million. To celebrate its fifth anniversary with UNICEF, Gucci commissioned author and illustrator Michael Roberts to create a sequel to his highly successful children’s book, Snowman in Paradise. The new book, titled Snowman in Africa, will be exclusively on sale in Gucci stores and the online store (at gucci.com) from Nov. 16 to Dec. 31, and all proceeds from the book sales will benefit UNICEF.

Jimmy Choo: A favorite of Carrie Bradshaw, Jimmy Choo has joined forces with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to launch Project PEP, a capsule collection of accessories and shoes from which 25 percent of net sales will be donated to the funding of the Simelela Rape Center in Cape Town, South Africa. The center will administer victims of abuse with the vital HIV preventative PEP medication (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) and provide the infrastructure for medical, counseling and legal support.

Bloomingdale’s/Fashion Gives Back: Every year, Glamour asks its favorite designers to participate in its Fashion Gives Back initiative in partnership with Bloomingdale’s. This year, Glamour asked Jason Wu (a personal favorite of First Lady Michelle Obama), Brian Reyes (a personal favorite of mine), Abigal Lorick (she’s behind the “Eleanor Waldorf Collection” on Gossip Girl), Bensoni, Alejandro Ingelmo and Pamela Love to design tote bags for the project. Each of these bags are only $35 and can be purchased at the New York Bloomingdale’s flagship store and website, and all of the proceeds will be donated to Dress for Success, a non-profit that helps women who are unemployed or underemployed get a jumpstart on their futures by providing suits and career skills.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer: Fashion Targets Breast Cancer began in 1994 as the American fashion industry’s response to breast cancer and has since become a widely recognized effort that raises public awareness and funds to support breast cancer research, education, screening and patient care. Inspired by Ralph Lauren in memory of his late friend Nina Hyde, The Washington Post columnist who died of breast cancer, the campaign became an ongoing initiative of the CFDA Foundations, the philanthropic division of the Council of Fashion Designers of America which represents over 300 of America’s leading designers. Since its launch, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer has become the worldwide fashion community’s singular and most successful response to breast cancer.

<[email protected]>

<[email protected]>