May Issue 2019

A balmy Karachi evening brought together people from across the city, social media influencers, brand loyalists and friends, to celebrate the launch of Chester Cares by Chester Bernard. Established in 2005, the clothing brand has joined hands with Rehn Sehen, a part of the Alwasila Trust, to do its bit in giving back to society. Taimur Khan, co-founder Chester Bernard, kick-started the event by introducing attendees to the brand, and inviting co-founder and managing partner, Faraz Salehjee, to brief the audience about the brand’s social responsibility initiative: Chester Cares.

Chester Cares encourages clients to bring old Chester Bernard shirts back to the stores, promising to press, package and label only those in premium condition. Collected from the brand’s stores across the country, the shirts are then sent to Rehen Sehen, where they are showcased in the organisation’s showrooms and sold to low-income families at throwaway prices. In a bid to encourage more people to engage in their social responsibility drive, the brand also promises discount vouchers as a token of appreciation for all participating clients.

Speaking about his regard for Alwasila Trust and their mission to increase the quality of life for the underprivileged, Salehjee informed attendees about the brand’s collaboration with Rehen Sehen, inviting Asim Ismail, founder and CEO of Alwasila Trust, to address the audience. Ismail spoke about his organisation Rehen Sehen and how it encourages people to give away old household items, ranging from clothes and crockery to furniture. Refurbished at their warehouses, the items are then sold to underprivileged families — those earning less than Rs. 30,000 a month — at an 80 per cent reduced cost. The organisation’s philosophy is to instil a sense of self-sufficiency within underprivileged communities while providing for their needs, and resultantly sustaining a majority of its running costs without outside help.

The presentations were followed by an evening of food and mingling, where attendees also got a chance to interact with Taimur Khan and Faraz Salehjee and learn more about the initiative and how they could participate and make a difference.