Give Makes Philanthropy Chic

Give is a collection of travel accessories that marries the concept between fashion, function, and philanthropy seamlessly. Founded by designer Christine Valenti in April of 2004, the budding company has taken off quickly with rave reviews from local, national and international magazines and a celebrity following that includes Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Samaire Armstrong, Jessica Alba and Sheryl Crow to name a few.

As the name implies, Give donates 10% of its net profits to charities annually. The philosophy at Give is that part of being chic means not just carrying the bag that you love, but also supporting the organizations you love. Organizations We Love is a campaign in which Give chooses a different non-profit each month and in addition to donating to that organization, they feature them on their website and in their e-newsletter so that more people can learn about the great work that they do.

Although Valenti always had an interest in fashion, her education was skewed more toward problem solving, majoring in both Math and Philosophy. That background has proven to be invaluable when you realize Give comes full circle with every detail in her designs painstakingly chosen for not just aesthetics but for function. She has solved the disorganization equation and come up with a whole new generation of business - the concept of one that is genuinely charitable, useful, yet utterly sophisticated. For more information, go to the bags page on Uptown Liz.