November 15th, 2021: Yesterday Harry Styles did the first drop of merchandise from his new brand Pleasing. The items that have been available for order are 4 beautiful nail polishes, the Pleasing pen for lips and eyes, and the Pearlescent Illuminating serum. For his new brand Harry has partnered with a nonprofit called Nest.

Nest is a non profit that supports “the responsible growth and creative engagement of the artisan & maker economy to build a world of greater gender equity and economic inclusion.” Which basically means that this nonprofit supports the wellbeing of artists which ends up being reflected into a more equitable and inclusive world! Nest recognizes that often craftspeople and handworkers around the world play a major role in jump starting and supporting the local economy. However, unfortunately they are often not recognized for the work they do and are not protected by social systems that are normally put in place to protect workers. These craftspeople and handworkers often work from home and are for the vast majority women. The number of these workers around the world is estimated to be more than 300 million.

Thus, Nest works in the belief “that when artisan businesses, brands and philanthropists come together, we can unlock the potential of the handworker economy to grow with economic dignity—enabling millions of individuals and their surrounding communities to thrive.”

To support the ethical growth of artisan business, Nest implements various programs that include education, pro-bono consulting from experts and link of these workers and small businesses with brands. Nest was also one of the first nonprofits to address the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion by launching in 2016 a program called Makers United. Makers United recruits and supports makers from under-resourced communities to make sure that the makers movement becomes as vibrant and healthy as possible. In addition, in 2017, Nest introduced its Standards of Ethical Handcraft for Homes and Small Workshops at the United Nations. These standards are the very first ones to be widely adopted to determine whether there is accountability and transparency in informal supply chains such as the ones in which craftspeople and handworkers work. Nest is now in the 15th year since its inception and it is more than ever focused on making sure that the workers they support thrive and become economically resilient, while at the same ensuring that diversity of workers is promoted. We love that Harry has partnered with Nest and we urge you to consider supporting them, if you can.

Harry Styles’ picture is shared from his Twitter account. Photography Rafael Pavarotti Styling Ibrahim Kamara.