When people talk about social impact, TOMS is often, if not always, a part of the conversation. In 2006, TOMS created a new way of doing business by merging profit and purpose. The brand has, throughout the years, stayed true to its promise: Being in business to improve lives. At this year’s Sole DXB, the Middle East’s premier culture and lifestyle festival – TOMS Middle East, aims to share its initiatives in the hopes of having more people join the cause of conscious living.
“We’ve expanded our sustainability initiatives with our Earthwise shoe and eyewear lineup. Earthwise takes a step forward in sustainable manufacturing to bring you products rooted in creating a more equitable tomorrow. TOMS Earthwise collection offers a variety of everyday styles and trends made with sustainable materials. Vegan shoes and earth-friendly footwear are just part of TOMS’ ethical production promise.” Says the TOMS Global Team.
When we talk about ‘trend’ cities, New York, London and Tokyo, cast an incredibly long shadow. A hub for both industry and media. From a global perspective, these places are often seen as the generator of trends. However, that oversimplification cuts out many potential regional scenes, some with rich histories and long-lasting impacts. And with that in mind, one city that deserves its flowers right now is Dubai.
Case in point: Sole DXB. A homage to the street culture and localization of international brands.
TOMS Middle East kicked off its Sole DXB participation with its “GEN NEXT” campaign that looks into the burgeoning subcultures of Dubai and unique personalities from the skate scene to music. Through ‘conversations overheard’ and exchanges during the shoot, TOMS Middle East put together a curiosity-led narrative from the perspectives of these young bloods. Karim Nassar (nawstique), a skater-superstar on the down-low who also, naturally, has an intuitive nose for hype even without asking for it, and one of the most prominent faces in the region’s skate scene talks about authenticity and staying true to his roots. Janine Luna, Dubai’s shape-shifter brings the ideas of different fashion brands to life. As a model, she shares her thoughts on coming from somewhere and making it in the industry. On rap music, style, and identity, Seki Supervillain (Ismail Abdul Aziz) and Ugly Moss (Moss Wadah) open up about creating their own waves and making bold moves in their career. Lastly, Dua Razooki (Asap Dua), a youngster with a relentless spirit talks about how she, as an Arab teenage girl conquers the ramps of the skate parks quite literally and figuratively.
TOMS is in business to improve lives.
When buying TOMS, you help fund access to mental health resources for millions of people who need them. Since 2006, TOMS has had an impact on over 100,000,000 lives, working with NGOs globally. TOMS believes in a future where all people have a chance to thrive. Today, TOMS supports people who are working to build equity at the grassroots level, like organizations at the heart of their communities, driving progress from the ground up. A Certified B Corp™, TOMS meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
ABOUT THE COLLECTION:
Earthwise Sustainable Materials REPREVE® recycled polyester blend found in TOMS Earthwise uppers and linings is our signature eco-friendly material made of recycled plastic bottles. Additionally, TOMS recycled cotton canvas espadrille is an ethical shoe made of 50% recycled cotton and 50% eco content dedicated to the comfortable insole. OrthoLite® Eco LT Hybrid insoles found across our sustainable sneaker collections are made of recycled material and plant-derived products. TOMS vegan shoes are a part of our Earthwise footwear collection, made with no animal by-products, only 100% vegan materials. Wood pulp from sustainably managed forests make up the raw material for our TENCEL™ Lyocell blend lining found in several of our eco-friendly shoes. Eco EVA is a sustainable product derived from sugarcane, a renewable resource and carbon reducer we have incorporated into our sustainable shoe collections. Not just a sustainable shoe brand in the pursuit of sustainable practices, our Wyatt sunglasses are housed in a pouch made of recycled water bottles and made with bioplastic frames that are 100% biodegradable. We are a shoe company in business to improve lives. Our Earthwise collection of sustainable footwear and natural material eyewear is a step toward reducing our carbon footprint and creating a better tomorrow. We commit 1/3 of profits from our Earthwise sustainability collection to grassroots goods.
About Apparel Group LLC
Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate residing at the crossroads of the modern economy – Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Today, Apparel Group caters to thousands of eager shoppers through its 2,010 retail stores and 78 brands on all platforms while employing over 18,500+ multicultural staff.
Apparel Group has carved its strong presence in the GCC and expanded thriving gateways to market in India, South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Additionally, clear strategies are in place to enter emerging markets such as Hungary, Pakistan, Egypt and Philippines.
Apparel Group has created an omni-channel experience, operating brands originating from the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia. The brands include leading names in fashion, footwear and lifestyle such as Tommy Hilfiger, Charles & Keith, Skechers, Aldo, Nine West, Aeropostale, Jamie’s Italian, Tim Hortons, Cold Stone Creamery, Inglot and Rituals.
Apparel Group owes its amazing growth to the vision and guidance of its dynamic Founder and Chairwoman, Mrs. Sima Ganwani Ved, who has taken the company from strength to strength since its inception in the last two decades.
About Sole DXB
Sole DXB is an annual youth and contemporary cultural festival, built on its pillars of fashion, music, visuals arts and sports, that saw over 36,000 people from more than 60 countries attend the December 2019 edition.
The three-day festival spans live music, workshops, film screenings, direct to consumer brand activations, exclusive and limited fashion drops, art installations, and the region’s most competitive streetball tournament.
Sole DXB is the most powerful experiential brand-building platform across the SWANA region, attracting a young, diverse, and sophisticated audience.
The ecosystem they’ve built through their experiential, content, and values-driven strategy, serves as the main bridge between a global community of 150+ brands and a rapidly expanding global audience.
About Sole
Sole is a founder-owned platform that connects communities through creativity and culture.
Their mission is to use the arts, culture, and sports to make cities more liveable.
What started as a grassroots movement, has grown to become the leading voice for youth and contemporary culture across the SWANA region, encompassing a festival, creative agency, basketball league, and publishing business, built on the pillars of fashion, music, sports, and the visual arts.
For Sole DXB media enquiries contact:
Plus 1 Communications |Nermine Kashef | [email protected] | +971 (0)52 750 0869
