The
smart set
T
he reason I was drawn to Smart Works is that it
reframes the idea of charity as community, which,
for me, is incredibly important: it’s a network of
women supporting and empowering other women
in their professional pursuits.
Smart Works blossomed from the desire to equip
unemployed women with the tools, clothes and conviction
needed to land a job interview. Clothes are donated – but
it’s not just about a woman going through her closet and
giving something away because she no longer needs it.
It’s about looking at that special item you’re holding on to- the memory of that suit or dress that helped you achieve
your dream job – and wanting to pay it forward. Not a
hand-me-down, but rather a hand being held.
Those donated clothes make it to a Smart Works centre,
where clients receive an interview outfit as a result of a
session with a stylist. Next, volunteer coaches ready women
for their upcoming interview. Once they score their dream
job, they come back for a second outfit, to see them through
until their first pay cheque. It’s the enthusiasm of the
volunteers, the earnestness of the staff and, most of all,
the blushing, bashful and beautiful smile that crosses a
client’s face when she sees herself in the mirror, that I have
found so profoundly compelling. Because in that moment,
she feels special and emboldened.
When you walk into a Smart Works space, you’re met
with racks of clothing and an array of bags and shoes.
Sometimes, however, it can be a potpourri of mismatched
sizes and colours, not always the right stylistic choices or
range of sizes. To help with this, I asked Marks & Spencer,
John Lewis & Partners, Jigsaw and my friend, the designer
Misha Nonoo, if they were willing to design a capsule
collection of more classic options for a workwear wardrobe.
Taking the idea further, many of the brands agreed to use
the one-for-one model: for each item purchased by a
customer, one is donated to the charity. Not only does this
allow us to be a part of each other’s story, it reminds us we
are in it together.
There is often a misunderstanding about Smart Works
being a makeover, a fashion show of “before and after”, where
a woman is magically transformed into something better
than she was before. But to label it as such would not only
be inaccurate, it would be missing the point. This is not a
fairy tale. In fact, if it’s a cultural reference you’re after, forget
Cinderella – this is the story of Wonder Woman, ready to
take on the world in her metaphorical and literal cape. nIN JANUARY, HRH THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX
WAS APPOINTED ROYAL PATRON OF SMART WORKS,
A CHARITY THAT AIMS TO PROVIDE CLOTHES AND
COACHING – AND A LARGE DOSE OF SELF-BELIEF
- TO UNEMPLOYED WOMEN IN NEED. HERE, THE
DUCHESS SHARES A NEW INITIATIVE DESIGNED
TO FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
© SUSSEX ROYAL
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