Vivienne Westwood and Lush join forces to fight TTIP.
Lush are often noted for their dedication to charitable campaigns; from the Hen Harrier bath bomb helping to secure the future of one of the UK’s most endangered birds, to their Charity Pot which donates all the money (minus VAT) to grassroots charities. Vivienne Westwood, on the other hand, is a designer more commonly associated with handbags than charity.
In fact, Vivienne Westwood is one of the most active campaigners for human rights and against climate change within the fashion industry. In 2008, she demonstrated at the largest Campaign Against Nuclear Disarmament protest in 10 years and in 2014 she cut off her hair to raise awareness of the risks of climate change.
Her latest campaign sees her join forces with Lush and War on Want in order to raise awareness of TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership). Her collaboration with Lush sees the launch of a rose scented ‘Showder’ (a shower powder which changes colour from pink to purple when in contact with water) with the box designed by Vivienne herself.
According to Lush’s website, TTIP will cost more than one million jobs in an attempt to remove regulatory barriers. Those who support TTIP say that these barriers will increase trade between the USA and Europe to help us out of the recession, yet War on Want claims that these barriers are in fact some of our most prized protective laws and they should not be removed. In the EU a list of 1,377 chemicals have been banned from use in cosmetics. In the USA, only 11 chemicals are banned from use in cosmetics, with lead still being used in lipstick. War on Want and Lush claim that TTIP would allow these synthetics to be used in the UK alongside a loss of our anti-animal testing laws.
Vivienne Westwood stated, “TTIP is a deal which would give giant Monopolies supreme power. They would have more power than Governments! It’s anti-people. The line is drawn between Profit and People. People are dispensable. The Earth is dispensable.”
All the money raised from the £12.50 showder goes directly to grassroots charities helping to campaign against TTIP. Although the campaign ended officially on October the 1st, you can still pick up a showder in some Lush shops across the country and online.
