Blue Illusion's commitment to charity shines through in our support of World Vision, a journey that began over 33 years ago during co-founder Donna Guest’s second pregnancy. Upon realising the contrast between her child's future and those less fortunate, Donna and her late husband Danny were moved to sponsor their first child through World Vision.
Find out more about the initiative here: https://www.worldvision.com.au/donate/fmnr
Guided by the company's three pillars of Fashion, Lifestyle, and Community, Blue Illusion transitioned from a family-run wholesale business to opening its first store in 1998. It was then that Danny & Donna committed to sponsoring one child for every Blue Illusion store opened, infusing each boutique with purpose and compassion. Since then, Blue Illusion has sponsored 278 children and contributed over approximately $1.65 million through various impactful projects, strengthening the bond between Blue Illusion and World Vision.
In 2022, Blue Illusion embarked on an inspiring collaboration with Yorta/Juru artist Shanai Kellet to craft an exclusive accessories collection.
Rooted in themes of empowerment and social responsibility, this collaboration celebrated Kellet’s stunning creativity inspired by the story of her surroundings, while making a positive and tangible impact on Indigenous Australian communities in need.
The partnership marked a significant milestone as it was proudly modelled by the first female First Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Samantha Harris. The scarves sold out within days, highlighting the immense impact of the partnership.
Building on the success of their first collaboration, Blue Illusion, Shanai Kellet, and Samantha Harris joined forces once again in 2023, with seven percent of sales from both collections dedicated to supporting World Vision's crucial initiatives in early childhood care development within First Nations communities.
Most recently, Blue Illusion’s partnership with World Vision provided Donna with the privilege of joining a trip to Zambia alongside nine other remarkable Australian women to witness the transformative impact of World Vision's work firsthand.
This journey allowed them to see various incredible projects, spanning sponsorship initiatives, maternity healthcare, clean water supplies, schools, Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) projects, micro-financing initiatives, sustainability efforts, and local teaching parent groups.
Donna’s experience witnessing the FMNR project in action provided invaluable insights into its profound impact on Zambian communities, as well as highlighting its pivotal role in combating climate change, benefiting both local communities and the global environment.
In 2024, Blue Illusion took a significant step towards fostering sustainability, committing to support World Vision's FMNR initiative for the next 3 years. This global project focuses on restoring forests and farmlands through an age-old method of regrowing trees from stumps. FMNR offers a simple, low cost solution that proves effective even in harsh climates, surpassing the efficacy of traditional tree-planting methods. Even better, once taught, communities can autonomously manage it, ensuring sustainable growth for future generations.
Find out more about the initiative here: https://www.worldvision.com.au/donate/fmnr
