Elizabeth Arden Continues Commitment to Empowering Women Through Collaboration with Non-Profit Organisation Sparrow Society

The eight-year relationship employs women from underprivileged communities in South Africa to source the beauty brand’s hand-crafted cosmetics bags.

Elizabeth Arden is proud to announce the continuation of its longstanding relationship with Sparrow Society, a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to building a more equitable society through gender advocacy, strategic economic empowerment, and support for survivors of gender-based violence.

Over 100 years ago, Miss Elizabeth Arden inspired women globally with her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation in the beauty industry. Her values and legacy remain at the core of the Elizabeth Arden brand, and this enduring collaboration with Sparrow Society exemplifies the brand’s continued commitment to supporting women.

Offering an alternative to the conventional relief and aid model, Sparrow Society seeks to provide sustainable and holistic economic empowerment to its network of over 100 women-owned sewing businesses. The connection between Elizabeth Arden and Sparrow Society employs women from underprivileged communities in a safe and dignified work environment, allowing them to support their families and produce ethical and fashionable products. Over the last eight years, this relationship has produced over 1 million bags, creating job opportunities for over 200 women. Last year alone, 95 women were encouraged to start home-based sewing businesses and nine survivors of human trafficking were trained to work again.

“Elizabeth Arden gift-with-purchase bags are so much more than just free gifts – they are changing people’s lives,” said Kate Brim-Senekal, Founder and Managing Director of Sparrow Society. “They are allowing women in South Africa to build a better future for themselves through creating something beautiful. For Elizabeth Arden consumers, holding something like that in your hand – a bag that carries such an impact – is extraordinary.”

“We are thrilled to continue our support of this incredible organisation,” said Ashley Fernandes, Marketing Manager for Elizabeth Arden South Africa. “As a brand that an inspiring female entrepreneur founded, Elizabeth Arden is proud to be impacting women’s lives meaningfully and supporting their path to economic stability through our relationship with Sparrow Society.”

This year’s 2024 gift-with-purchase bags contain Elizabeth Arden’s innovative skincare in a handmade, limited-edition Sparrow Society cosmetics bag that is ethically sourced and produced.

The limited-edition gift sets will be available from 15 July to 9 August 2024. Bags are available when you spend R1750 or more on any two Elizabeth Arden products, of which one must be skincare, from local select Elizabeth Arden counters. Limit to one gift per customer while stocks last. Excludes all other offers, promotional lines and gift sets.

About Elizabeth Arden
A legendary innovator and a tireless entrepreneur, Miss Elizabeth Arden established the American beauty industry a century ago. Born Florence Nightingale Graham, she travelled from rural Canada to New York City, where she opened the first Red Door salon on Fifth Avenue in 1910.

Elizabeth Arden believed that beauty should not be a veneer of makeup but an intelligent cooperation between science and nature. She lived by her mantra, “To be beautiful is the birthright of every woman.”

Miss Arden created skincare products that benefited, not masked, the skin. She not only promoted her concept of total beauty, including diligent skincare, nutrition and fitness, but lived it prudently as she pursued a scientific approach to skincare formulations.

Miss Arden was uncompromising in her vision to create the new and best products, packaging and services that women not only needed but desired, whether it was the cult-classic Eight Hour Cream, her legendary Blue Grass fragrance, or a bold red lipstick to coordinate with the uniforms of the women serving in the armed forces during World War II.

Elizabeth Arden’s list of beauty innovations is long. She was the first to introduce eye makeup to the
women of America and pioneered the creation of the “makeover.” With the launch of Ardena Skin Tonic, the company became the first to incorporate its founder’s name into a product name. Miss Arden developed the first travel-size beauty products and was the first in the cosmetics business to train and send out a team of travelling demonstrators and saleswomen.

By the 1930s, Miss Arden had opened Red Door salons in the majority of the fashion capitals around the globe. She proudly acknowledged her accomplishments by proclaiming that only three American names were known in every corner of the globe: Singer Sewing Machines, Coca-Cola and Elizabeth Arden.

Through it all, Miss Arden created an empire and a new industry. Her entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation, quality and excellence remain the company’s soul today.

For more on Elizabeth Arden, visit: https://corporate.elizabetharden.co.za

About Sparrow Society
Kate Senekal is the founder of Sparrow Society. This non-profit organisation connects and empowers women in the townships of Gugulethu, Masiphumelele and Philippi, South Africa, through their craftsmanship, design, and creative skills.

A photographer by profession, Kate was motivated to give this up and follow her passion for empowering disadvantaged communities. She was inspired by the talented women she saw in townships creating “charity trinkets” for sale and not living up to their talent’s full potential.

Kate provided a platform to share her knowledge and to guide and train women in these communities to master their skills. This empowered them to create beautiful bags, candles, jewellery, and other products that Kate had designed herself. Sparrow Society has grown into a proud local brand that is now sold through several South African retail outlets.

Through the organisation, Kate has provided employment and a constant revenue stream for women in underprivileged communities, allowing them to provide for their families and feel empowered and respected by doing what they love. In the past year, the Sparrow Society has provided 21 employees with safe and dignified work environments for prepping and finishing the bags. It has produced 95 SewBosses, which are home-based sewing businesses.

For more on Sparrow Society, visit: https://sparrowsociety.co.za/

This post was sponsored by Elizabeth Arden.