FEED Bags Clarins Partnership

Lauren Bush's FEED USA campaign, which raises money to improve school food programs across America, last crossed our transom when it produced "Made in USA" bags for Gap that turned out to be made in China, and Gap duly apologized for the gaffe.

Now another retailer, Nordstrom, is offering an exclusive FEED bag, to support the activist's (that's her at right) global FEED Projects program, with French beauty brand Clarins on board.

This bag, dubbed FEED 15, is a makeup bag rather than a tote bag, however. It contains Clarins body lotion, hand cream and lip gloss and will be available for $30 starting July 15th at Nordstrom and on the FEED web store and starting August 1st at Clarins.com.

To extend the exclusivity even further, in October, Bloomingdale's will offer a similar FEED 25 bag. The "15" and "25" on the bags indicate the number of children fed around the world with the purchase of each bag, according to WWD.

These latest FEED bags are the result of a collaboration with the leading cosmetics maker, Groupe Clarins, which is hoping to feed at least one million children in two years via the bag sales. The more retailers who offer 'exclusive' FEED products, the more money raised.

FEED and its sister organization, FEED USA, create FEED bags as well as teddy bears, t-shirts, and other products emblazoned with the FEED or FEED USA logos as a way to raise money for feeding the hungry of the world. FEED builds a set donation into the cost of each product.

The design savvy of the program can be attributed to the organization's CEO, Lauren Bush.

For many years, she was an internationally known fashion model who later got involved in photography and fashion design. In 2004, she became an Honorary Spokesperson for the UN World Food Program. She has been able to combine her fashion industry experience with her interest in fighting hunger on behalf of FEED. 

It isn't the first time a celebrity with a charitable cause has figured out how to leverage branded merchandise, and smart design, retail and fashion partnerships, to generate buzz, awareness and — most importantly — donations.

Consider reality TV star Blake Mycoskie, who parlayed his moment of fame to a brand — TOMS Shoes — that recently expanded its "one for one" model to sunglasses.

Or (RED), the HIV/AIDS campaign spearheaded by U2's Bono in 2006, which has worked with such iconic brands as American Express, Apple, Converse, Dell, Emporio Armani, Gap, Hallmark and Starbucks to create special (RED)-branded versions of their products.

Up to 50% of the profits from those products goes to HIV and AIDS programs, and since its launch, (RED) has generated over $170 million in donations, including last year's World Aids Day last year, when Bono kicked off a campaign to "turn the world RED."

[Image via FEED Projects Facebook page]