It was the first attempt to materially combine beauty, business and sustainability in line with the company’s values.

The idea was simple and based on the salons’ spirit of collaboration and far-sightedness and on people’s growing environmental sensibility. The salons involved had a special opening on Monday, 15 November 2010, to offer a haircut and styling in exchange for a voluntary contribution by the client which was not kept by the salon, but entirely donated to the Zero Impact® project of LifeGate.  To all participating salons Davines offered a free information and advertising campaign.

The event’s success was extraordinary: 210 salons collected enough funds to create and protect more than 11 hectares of forests in the Valle del Ticino Park, declared “Biosphere Reserve” by UNESCO. This event was spontaneously promoted by private individuals and journalists, in particular on the web through blogs and green websites.

It brought confirmation that ideals can become true, catalyse consensus and arouse the enthusiasm of those involved.

The event was recently repeated in the USA and Canada, where the 1st Sustainable Beauty Day was held on 20 June 2011 with great attendance figures and wide acclaim, which went to confirm the success of the model and the possibility of exporting it to all Davines offices worldwide.

The proceeds from the day were entirely donated to the “Sustainabilitree” project organised by The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation for planting fruit trees in the Sofala province of Mozambique, Africa, at the end of the year.

A wide-ranging sustainable choice because by planting orchards you improve land, air and water, you provide fruit to local people and you offer an agricultural heritage for future generations!

In the meantime, preparations for the 2^nd Sustainable Beauty Day in Italy are in full swing. It will take place at the beginning of next year on Monday 13 February 2012, a date that will not go unnoticed and that promises to repeat its past success.