It’s not everyday you get to have an intimate breakfast on the sixth floor of Bloomingdale’s surrounded by racks of DKNY clothing, but that’s exactly how yesterday began. But despite pretty platters of pastries and all the shopping a girl could want, we were there on a serious note to discuss world hunger with our gracious host Lauren Bush Lauren of FEED.

FEED has partnered with DKNY on a small capsule range called The Survival Collection that keeps with FEED’s ‘measurable donation’ strategy. The range includes a diaper bag that provides a mother and child one year of micronutrient powder; a tote that provides 100 children with vitamin enriched emergency food, and rain boots that provide 25 children with emergency food. The items combine Lauren’s signature utilitarian look with DKNY’s urban, NYC edge and retail between $115 and $220.

Lauren was among the first to adopt the idea of social entrepreneurship in the fashion realm having launched FEED back in 2006 after growing frustrated with the old model of donation. “Throwing galas and asking for money just didn’t feel sustainable,” Lauren explains. “It was so frustrating because young people would always ask me what they can do, and I really wanted to engage them.” It was then that she had the idea of creating a product that gave back, and the signature FEED tote bags were born.

“Many of the people that I’ve seen and met throughout my travels live off less than a dollar a day. It’s hard to reconcile when we are surrounded by such luxury,” Lauren says. It’s true, world hunger can be such a daunting issue that it can often feel like it’s too big to do anything about. That’s exactly why Lauren’s model of building the donation into a consumer product works so well. It encourages people to get involved in a fun and tangible way.

Photos: Courtesy of FEED