Kenneth Cole and Selena Gomez were honored at the 2026 Social Impact Summit, the Social Impact Fund’s first launch to focus on philanthropy in the fashion and beauty space, where speakers and panelists shared their insights on topics ranging from the importance of creative diversity to why college isn’t the only path to a career in the industry.
Veteran fashion and accessories designer Kenneth Cole was honored with the Social Impact Fund’s Excellence in Fashion Philanthropy Award by Michael Atmore, editor-in-chief of Women’s daily clothing, In front of an audience full of dignitaries, Fashion Institute of Technology students, and fashion and beauty officials inside the FIT Theater.
In 1985 — more than 40 years ago — Cole began a very clever advertising campaign to support HIV/AIDS research and charities. He was the first person in the fashion world to launch a large-scale charitable advertising campaign, which paved the way for many others.
“By the time I started,” Cole told Atmore as part of an onstage question-and-answer session, “AIDS was already widespread, but no one He was talking about it. I don’t think we could have started this today, in the age of social media. There are a lot of voices. It’s very loud. We would never have stood out. Plus, robots control a lot of what happens there. But in the 1980s and 1990s, advertising received a lot of attention; She helped launch the idea of corporate and fashion philanthropy.
“It’s not just what you stand for, it’s what you stand for,” says one billboard for Kenneth Cole shoes.
“My goal here has always been to bring humor into campaigns,” Cole said. “I don’t take myself seriously — but I take what I do seriously. … I eventually switched from funding AIDS organizations to mental health efforts. There’s a whole mental health crisis in this country; I thought it was time someone tried to do something about it.”
Elise Cohen, chief impact officer at Rare Beauty Cosmetics, accepted the Excellence in Beauty Philanthropy Award for Rare Beauty creator Gomez, who had many fans in the audience, as you might imagine, but was under the weather and couldn’t attend. She received the award from Jenny B. Fine, WWD Executive Editor, Beauty.
“This award is really fitting for Selena because when she launched Rare Beauty in 2020, she made a rare commitment to donate 1 percent of all sales to the Rare Beauty Impact Fund,” Cohen said. “Selena is always The mission first and foremost; This is how the business is built. The beauty industry was created to cover what makes you unique. Selena did not believe in these standards of perfection. When I met Selena, I was overwhelmed by her sense of commitment to the underfunded cause of mental health. We started six years ago. …We’ve seen young people come to us not just for beauty advice, but to learn about mental health. We launched the business during the global pandemic. Since everyone was so isolated from each other, it was a good time to launch an online community of like-minded people.
Cohen noted that the Rare Beauty Impact Fund has raised $30 million over six years for these efforts. “People think of us as a huge brand, but we’re actually not. But now we’re not only at Sephora, we just landed at Ulta, which will help us raise even more for this effort. Selena has committed to raising $100 million; she’s very serious about it. We’ve gone through a rigorous process of vetting the right organizations to support. We want to be known as a company that has paved the way for issues that historically haven’t been addressed through the beauty channel.”
She also told Rare Beauty Fans that a new product is coming soon from the brand, which is really known for its blushes: “A new foundation that will be in 48 shades.”
New York’s legendary FIT was a fitting home for the 2026 Social Impact Summit, hosted by the Social Impact Fund and the Fashion Institute of Technology Foundation. Craig Cichy, executive director of the Social Impact Fund, opened Monday’s event, explaining what the organization does: “We are a national nonprofit dedicated to making accessible philanthropy more efficient. We are the home base for nonprofits that need a tax structure. As the great Robert Redford once said: ‘The glory of art is that it can not only survive, but that it can lead.'” He knew that style could not survive without substance.
The first of three sessions was moderated by fashion executive and 2013 FIT Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Verne Mallis. Dubbed “Fashion & Beauty Pioneers in Philanthropy,” the event featured three heavyweights on the subject: MAC Cosmetics Senior Vice President of Cosmetics/Global Creative Director Nicola Formichetti, known for his work as Creative Director of Diesel, Mugler and many collaborations with Lady Gaga. When it comes to philanthropy, he explained, “MAC is more than just a brand: it created Viva Glam, a lipstick that raises money for charities. We’re using that platform in a new way. This week, we’re launching a new Viva Glam campaign, Protect the Dolls, in collaboration with British designer Conner Ives, who started a T-shirt campaign to raise money for transgender rights.” MAC has launched new T-shirts with the phrase and matching lipsticks.
Taryn Bird, executive director of social impact at Kate Spade New York, described how the company began working in 2013 with a women’s group in Rwanda that has since built 300,000 handbags for the brand — and continues to do so. Kate Spade has also set up a donation fund for mental health causes.
Panelist Sam Di Spicio, vice president of corporate communications at Macy’s, noted how the retail giant launched a program in 2022 called Mission Every One to ramp up its national charitable efforts and programs.
This writer was the moderator of the next panel, “The Importance of Making Diverse Creative Connections,” with panelists Corey Smith, vice president for Diversity, Inclusion and Academic Relations at LVMH; Randy Kazin, senior vice president of global collaboration and VIP design at Tommy Hilfiger; and model/actress and diversity rights advocate Jillian Mercado. As a group, they offered advice to students and young creatives in the fashion/beauty industry: Don’t think there’s no place for you – consider every opportunity. Work with like-minded creatives to band together to change company expectations — and most importantly, Smith said, “Not everyone has to go to college to be in this industry. There are so many roles at a place like LVMH — technology jobs, sewing jobs, painting jobs — that they require specialized schools but not college — which are so expensive that most young people will never be able to recoup their tuition.”
Veteran fashion and women’s magazine editor Cindy Leaf moderated a panel on “Delegating Influence: From Trend to Consumer”; Featured by Tracy Reese, designer, founder and CEO of Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese and Artisan Studio; Nancy Mahon, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies; and Rohit Burman, Global Head of PVH and Calvin Klein Sustainability. The talk focused on: How do you create products and clothing with unique ideas and looks and get them out into the world? Of course, social media was a big answer – but so was the word of the day, “brand authenticity.” It’s not a word people typically associate with fashion or beauty, but that seems to be changing with the public focus on it.
Hollywood Reporter It was the official media sponsor of the event. Other sponsors include Kate Spade New York (Gold Sponsor); Perlman & Perlman, LLP and Ulta Beauty (Bronze Sponsors); And Delta Air Lines, the official airline of the Social Impact Fund.
