‘Around the world, millions of children are the innocent victims of conflict, disaster and climate crisis. As a global community, we have a responsibility to ensure they are protected and supported,' says Gubi’s chief brand officer, Marie Kristine Schmidt. The Danish design house has recently teamed up with Unicef to launch, 'Young Hopes', a campaign to support vulnerable children worldwide. Young Hopes will raise funds for Unicef by donating money from the sale of 100 limited-edition ‘Pacha’ lounge chairs. The proceeds will be used by the international children’s charity to support safe births, clean water, and access to education in crisis areas. ‘We want to ensure young people have better medical care, sanitation, and opportunities to thrive,’ explains Schmidt.
With this initiative, Gubi aims to help children in countries that are often overlooked. ‘Unicef identified Burkina Faso, Myanmar and Sudan as areas where young people’s lives and prospects had been severely impacted by conflict and crisis but are lower down on the global humanitarian radar,’ explains Schmidt. The campaign features a special Unicef edition of Gubis popular ‘Pacha’ lounge chair, made from surplus premium fabrics.
The ‘Pacha’ lounge chair by Pierre Paulin is one of the Danish brand’s most iconic pieces of furniture. Originally designed in 1975, the chair comes in both fixed and swivel editions. For this campaign, Gubi has committed to producing 100 chairs in three exclusive colourways: Lupo Special Diagonal Bouclé 007, Harp 102, and Mumble 02. ‘Paulin’s “Pacha” is one of Gubi’s best-selling furniture designs and has been beloved in the design world since it was first produced. It is playful and comfortable, yet still very elegant,’ Schmidt says of the design.
The purchase of one ‘Pacha’ can help maintain access to emergency education for up to 475 children, contribute to the safe birth of 200 children, or provide up to 35,000 children with access to clean drinking water for a month. ‘It’s amazing to see a design brand using its creative platforms for a cause like this,’ says executive director of Unicef Denmark, Susanne Dahl. ‘Even if you are unable to buy a chair or donate, you can support Young Hopes by spreading the word on social media and encouraging others to learn about and support Unicef’s work.’
According to Schmidt, rather than launching a charity campaign focused on suffering and negativity, Gubi wanted to strike a note of optimism: ‘We want people to think about the possibilities for the future for these young people, rather than the traumas of the past. As a global design company, we were keen to partner with a charity with international reach that could help us make a difference on a worldwide scale.’
Interestingly, Unicef's humanitarian supply base which distributes lifesaving supplies, educational materials, and sanitation kits is located a short walk away from Gubi's waterfront headquarters in Nordhavn, Copenhagen. Schmidt describes the power of physical proximity in fostering a collaborative project: ‘From our base beside the water in Nordhavn, we look out on Unicef’s global supply hub, and there was something really appealing in the idea of working with a neighbour to try to make a difference in the world.’
The Gubi for Unicef edition of the ‘Pacha’ chair will be available to order from gubi.com
