‘Carolina Herrera Heart for Hope’ gives back to Red Cross and Red Crescent

Carolina Herrera has always been a House with a very strong human component. The brand was built from my mother’s enthusiasm and effort. She in convinced that elegance, beauty and luxury can be conveyed through optimism and ​alegría de vivir​, the concepts that define Carolina Herrera. Today we still adhere to those ideals.

We have always spoken about emotions, family bonds, memories and love. We believe that beauty and creativity give us the ability to see the world form a more luminous and positive perspective.

Carolina Herrera has collaborated over the past decade with different initiatives like the fight against Breast Cancer, children’s welfare and access to education for development.

This new project responds to a very urgent matter, a situation impossible to have imagined only months ago. In regard to this pandemic, we decided to analyze the situation and respond quickly and coherently but not too soon. That is why we have created a project that goes beyond a one-shot initiative: the first phase of this action will go on until December 31​ 2020.

It is a very ambitious plan, but we have been lucky to find the perfect partner to work with as there are few non-profits with the knowledge and experience of the Red Cross––an organisation that focuses COVID-19 relief efforts in the contention of the pandemic and the attention to those most vulnerable.

We are proud to collaborate with their global teams on this initiative, and Carolina Herrera Heart for Hope is born with the desire to endure. In the future we would love to collaborate with other organisations that share our same values.

Handbags are very special objects. They never go out of style, they are passed along from mother to daughter, they are stored with care and brought out when the occasion calls for it. We know this because our clients have used our designs for over twenty years. Handbags are closely linked to special moments, memories of dear times in a woman’s life, they also represent our passion for craftsmanship, quality and perfect execution.

Our Leather Atelier in Spain is one of the most magical landmarks for the brand. It is there that every design goes through the filter of tradition, artisanal work and a demand for quality alien to trends or time.

We create pieces with a name of their own: Andy, Matrioshka, Bimba and the most recent additions to the family: Insignia, Metropolitan, Initials and Doma. All of these hold immense importance and value to us and we want to put them at the service of those in need.

It makes me truly happy to know that in the upcoming months, when someone decides to purchase a Carolina Herrera handbag, they acquire not only a beautiful and lasting object, but also one that represents the courage, empathy and generosity that we are experiencing as a community. A handbag as a symbol of hope.

We are undoubtedly going through a difficult time. This pandemic has taken its toll on those most in need. There are thousands of people who are giving their best every day to relieve the situation and make it easier on the rest of us. Healthcare workers, caregivers, security forces, the workforce, entrepreneurs — we are all facing this pandemic. And we, as a brand, want to shed warmth and togetherness in these times.

Joy and hope are part of our DNA, they are present in the little things and details. The act of getting dressed, for example, is an act of hope in itself — an expression that brings colour and beauty to our daily lives. We want to share this belief with a larger audience while helping those who need it the most.

When someone enjoys certain privileges they have the obligation to give something back to society. This is something that has always been present in our home, my parents brought us up with this principle. We always try to lend a helping hand with initiatives where we can make change in a significant and coherent manner.

Solidarity, empathy and love are values that I would want to define us as a brand.

For example, our CH PINK initiative has been helping the fight against breast cancer for the past eleven years. The 212 Urban Run has taken place in Argentina for the past seven years with proceeds going to the Fundación Garrahan, dedicated to giving homes to children who have to be in Buenos Aires for medical treatment.

Last year we launched our collaboration with As Valquirias in Brazil, a project that helps women and children in the less developed favelas. Now, we won’t give up in the relief of the COVID-19 crisis.

I have always considered it a mission at Carolina Herrera to be aligned with the times. Having a voice and a message about the present situation is important in fashion and beauty. We have a commitment to the here and now.

My first project at Carolina Herrera was 212, a disruptive fragrance at the time designed to represent the youth of the most hedonistic, vibrant and dynamic city in the world: New York. My definition of the term classic is being current, in constant movement and always alert to what is happening in the world. This is reflected in our fragrances, our fashion and accessories collections, our campaigns, our communications and projects like these.

My mother always takes part in everything we do. Now that the brand is growing and with a new chapter under the wonderful creative direction of Wes Gordon, we are a global brand with collaborators, clients and points of sale around the world, and she, as Global Ambassador for the brand, follows our day to day operations very closely. She is very excited to be a part of this project as godmother. My mother has been preaching togetherness through fashion over the past four decades.

In a way we are carrying out that message on globally during a time when fashion cannot be the most important thing. It can, however, be a tool to look at life from a different perspective. On top of that, she has always had a very special relationship with our handbags and has been responsible for creating our Leather Atelier to ensure their evolution.

The CH Carolina Herrera boutique is located at Suria KLCC, call +603-2161 0632 for more information.

(Images by Carolina Herrera)