Today Sussex Royal Announced:
We are proud to be supporting a very special initiative this autumn for @SmartWorksCharity!
After quiet visits to Smart works over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non profit organisation that helps women into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and clothes they need to feel job-ready.
Throughout her visits she noticed that while the donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview.
As a result, launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace. This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 💯 as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market.
The brands have come together to work towards this united force for good, “[reframing] the idea of charity as community,” as The Duchess writes in a piece for this month’s British Vogue. They will follow the 1:1 model where an item from the collection purchased is an item shared with a woman of Smart Works because “not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story; it reminds us we are in it together.” For more information on how you can be part of another woman’s success story visit Smart works charity.
Special thanks to: John Lewis Marks and Spencer, Misha Nonoo, Jigsaw for supporting this very special organisation.
And to find out more, read the September issue of British Vogue and stay tuned for more exciting updates this autumn.
Smart works said:
We are so proud to be included in the seminal, September Edition of @britishvogue guest-edited by our Royal Patron, HRH The Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal
In the article, The Duchess writes: “The reason I was drawn to Smart Works is that it reframes the idea of charity as community. It’s a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits.”
Our Smart Works family is flourishing under the Duchess’s patronage. We have dressed more women than ever before, and we have just had our best ever July, helping 27% more women across the UK than the same time last year. We want to help more women find their way to a Smart Works centre so that they may, in the words of the Duchess, be ready to take on the world, get a job and transform their lives
The Duchess and Smart Works have more exciting plans in store (watch this space) but for now, we hope you’ll buy this very special #ForcesForChange edition of Vogue and be inspired by what you read.