Gabriela Hearst
Photography courtesy of Gabriela Hearst

Gabriela Hearst is Donating Net Proceeds From All Sales This Week to Children in War-Ridden Yemen

The philanthropic initiative runs from December 2 to December 9.

Gabriela Hearst’s eponymous brand of sophisticated ready-to-wear and sleek, minimalist accessories has earned her high-profile fans like Meghan Markle, Katie Holmes and Danai Gurira. Typically, getting possession of her handbags is done via request only, but for a short while they are available for immediate purchase at gabrielahearst.com. The click-to-buy access comes in part with her efforts with Save the Children to help children caught in Yemen’s catastrophic state of war. From December 2 to December 9, 100 per cent of net proceeds from Gabriela Hearst sales will be donated to support child nutrition and relief efforts.

“For me personally the holiday spirit should be about giving, and this is why we are donating all net proceeds to this important cause. I have deep admiration for the past, present and future work of Save the Children,” Hearst said in a statement from the brand. In addition to Hearst’s e-commerce platform, customers can shop the week-long initiative with Save the Children at her flagship stores in New York and London.

Save the Children is one of the largest not-for-profit organizations on the grounds of Yemen, working directly and tirelessly to provide needed support. With more than 12 million Yemeni children in need of humanitarian backing, Save the Children is equipping crisis-affected children and their families with food, cash vouchers, critical healthcare services, education and protection. “The humanitarian crisis has fallen out of media discourse, given the speed of our current news state. The catastrophe is present and needs as much help as possible,” said Hearst.

Gabriela Hearst Save the Children
Karima*, 22 feeding her 16-month-old baby Alia*, Photography via Majed
Nadhem/Save the Children

This initiative couldn’t come at a more desperate time for Yemeni kids. A new analysis released by the global humanitarian organization shows that tens of thousands of children are near famine, and if the current issues with aid access are not resolved, their risk of severe acute malnutrition and death increases exponentially.

Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children, is witnessing first-hand the needs inflicted by the war. “I visited the war-torn country earlier this year, and Yemeni children are truly bearing the brunt of this conflict. They suffer from malnutrition and other illnesses, and are missing out on school and childhood,” she said in a statement.

Hearst’s brand was built with the intention to make all things with care and detail, valuing the importance of craftsmanship over trend. Taking a slow approach to fashion, the designer has always carefully considered where her materials are sourced from and who is making them. With this new initiative, she’s now expanding the circle of people her work can directly impact.

Want to learn more about this under-the-radar brand? Head to our roundup of five things to know about the New York-based designer, and for a look at some of the products currently available for purchase to benefit the children of Yemen, click through the gallery below.

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