The month of love is upon us, and the media is sure to inundate you with a whole lot of fluff, pink hearts and drool-worthy diamonds. Being a full-time marketeer myself, I too fall into this cliche drill, but this time round I thought of creating a lineup of gifting ideas that take the meaning of ‘love’ beyond the cliche fluff and romance.

There is a great deal of love that needs to go around in the world today, and what better way to show it than spend your money on brands that go the extra mile to give back to the community? From beauty, fashion and beyond, there are so many great options to consider.

For the Bag Addict: 

Founded by Brother-sister duo Zeina and Ahmed Abou Chabaan, Palestyle is a
Dubai-based luxury brand that works with refugee women in Jordan. The
refugee women’s intricate handmade embroidery journeys from impoverished
camps in the Middle East to Italian workshops where the brand’s luxury
handbags are crafted. From there, the bags travel to high-end department
stores like House of Fraser and Bloomingdales as well as the closets of
celebrities including Eva Longoria.

For the Natural Beauty Lover:

I recently got introduced to Khadi Natural, a natural beauty concept hailing from India. Not only are all their products loaded with skin-loving natural ingredients that follow the age-old wisdom of Ayurveda, the products are all manufactured in Gramodaya, a government owned enterprise created to give jobs to those in need.

Got a Shoe Fetish? 

Comfy and durable shoes retailer TOMS is churning out retail history with their ‘One for One’ ideology. Given most of their range is uni-sex, how cute would it be to get a pair of matching shoes with your Valentine?