“We children didn’t have many chances to daydream,” recalls Armani. “It was wartime. There were very real, everyday problems. I didn’t have time to think about my dreams for the future. We were concerned with certain, very basic things: eating, getting cheap schoolbooks, and being able to go to the cinema on Sundays.”
As a young boy, Armani did not know what the future held in store for him. Today, he wants to make sure that the future is a bright one for those who will come after him. By taking a stand on social issues and embracing the concept of corporate social responsibility, Armani has committed himself to using fashion as a force for positive social change.
“It is a fact that, in the West, we live in a capitalist society, but that does not mean that we cannot be guided by the idea of a social conscience in our work,” he says. “Yes, fashion design requires consumers to consume, but we can do our bit for society by running our companies in a socially responsible way, and by creating products that promote respect for social and environmental issues.”
Armani believes that at the heart of all successful businesses are successful relationships. Thus, establishing positive interactions between his company and its communities and consumers is a significant step towards generating healthy business performance.
To this end, Armani has committed his company to what he believes are positive social ideals. “The best way to make a contribution in fashion is to promote the idea that a fundamental interest in preserving the environment is itself fashionable,” he says. Armani Jeans was recently awarded the Eco Tex certification at the Ecological Trade Fair, Ecomoda, for its use of recycled polyester from bottles. The company also uses certified organic cotton bought from communities in Peru that were once heavily dependent on the opium trade. Although his collections do make use of fur, Armani says he tries “to do so conscientiously.”
In addition to being a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR, the UN agency responsible for refugees, Armani has also made a large commitment to the RED campaign that was spearheaded by Bono and Bobby Shriver. A special line of RED products have been launched under Emporio Armani, of which a portion of the profits will be donated to the Global Fund to Fight Aids. He has also taken a very public stand in support of the Catholic Church’s reconsideration of its stance against condom use. “Anything that helps to prevent the spread of HIV in Africa must be encouraged,” he says.
Armani is at the forefront of companies demonstrating their potential to be a force for change. He is refusing to operate in a bubble, designing luxury clothes for consumers irrespective of the world in which they all live. Much like he stood up in the face of critics who thought he would never make it as a businessman, so too is Armani now standing up for the social issues he believes in, and proving that any company can do the same.
Lesson #5: Your Conscience is Your Chicest Business Accessory
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“God gave me my money,” said Rockefeller. “I believe the power to make money is a gift from God to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind.” 
