By April MacIntyre Oct 23, 2009, 15:56 GMT
Musician Mary J. Blige and the house of Gucci have partnered up.
09/08/2009 - Mary J. Blige - Musician Mary J. Blige and the house of Gucci have partnered up. © Anthony G. Moore / PR Photos
WWD reports that creative director Frida Giannini, Blige and branding impresario Steve Stoute gathered in Yonkers to open the new Mary J. Blige Center for Women, a partnership between The Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN) — the charity that Blige and Stoute cofounded in 2007 — and Westchester Jewish Community Services (WCJS).
Blige shared that the center has three main goals: to educate, empower and encourage women.
“As a child, I never saw a confident woman — I only saw women being abused,” said the singer, who grew up in Yonkers. “There was so much pain growing up — it would have been in vain if I didn’t put myself out there. That’s why I am here; that’s why FFAWN exists. I want every girl and woman who walks through this door to know that she is loved — no matter who is telling her she isn’t loved.”
Blige elaborated, “I’m not just talking about helping women in the poverty-stricken areas — I am also talking about the broken homes of the wealthy where the child is watching mom and dad arguing, and she grows up being abused by some man, as well,” she said.
Giannini, who is also a board member of the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, told WWD that Blige was an inspirational force.
“She is a woman who really talks from her heart and from her own experiences, and she is a living example for all women in the world. And at the same time, Gucci is a very powerful brand that can communicate in a very strong way. I thought that, together, we could make something very impressive. I think it’s important to show that fashion isn’t just about clothes and accessories — it’s about being involved with initiatives like this one and social responsibility.”
WWD_Report
Your Talkback on this Story