The Problem With Balenciaga’s Charitable Koala T-Shirt
Balenciaga will release a charitable two-piece capsule collection of koala t-shirts and hoodies Jan. 13 and all proceeds of the sales will be donated to local Australian conservation organizations selected by sustainability experts. Each piece features a white base and an illustration of the animal that highlights its facial features and soft nature. The pieces will be sold exclusively on the Balanciaga website.
Inasmuch as this is a great act of generosity, and follows in the footsteps of Kering Group‘s $1 million AUD donation, we see a problem with this. Why create and release a special collection when Balenciaga is certain to have a ton of unsold items from previous collections they can discount and sell for charity? After all, the Australian bushfires are directly linked to climate change, and creating even a small capsule will inevitably have a negative impact on the environment, which then directly contributes to the problem that started the bushfires in the first place. Do you see the connection?
And don’t get us wrong, it is admirable for any brand and any human to donate and help the horrific environmental emergency in Australia but should we start being more aware of not adding to the problem in the long run? What do you guys think?
And if you wish to donate to any Australian fire relief efforts, here are a few places you can consider:
- Australian Red Cross
- GIVIT – an Australian organization that matches donated goods with items that are specifically requested by victims of the fires.
- Salvation Army Australia
- NSW Rural Fire Service
- Australian Koala Foundation
- Koalas in Care Inc.
- World Wildlife Fund
