Kering, the European luxury conglomerate behind brands including Gucci and Saint Laurent, is backing Project DOT, a youth sexual violence prevention program operating in the Bronx, as part of a broader corporate commitment to combating gender-based violence across its operations and communities.
Project DOT (Dream, Own, Tell) is a youth development program run by the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault that equips young people aged 10-24 with education and leadership skills to challenge harmful norms and prevent sexual violence. The program runs 13 to 18-week curricula in which participants learn the difference between sexual harassment, sexual assault, coercion, and other forms of abuse, and develop language to describe their own experiences and boundaries.
On a recent summer afternoon, Kering executives including Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering Americas President Ewa Abrams, and Kering Foundation Executive Director Céline Bonnaire visited a Project DOT session led by senior instructor Ponny White. “We have to train really young people and the young generations because they are the future,” Daveu told Teen Vogue during the visit.
The students participating in the program report that sexual education is largely absent from their regular high school curricula. One 15-year-old participant said she had only received sex education once, in fifth grade, and for just one or two days. Through Project DOT, participants learn what sexual violence encompasses—from explicit and unwanted jokes to revenge porn—and develop skills to support peers facing similar situations.
Kering’s investment in the Bronx program reflects a longer-term strategy that extends beyond youth education. The company plans to train all approximately 44,000 of its corporate employees on gender-based violence, positioning workers as ambassadors for cultural change within the company and its supply chains. Abrams explained the philosophy: “You can intervene and you can educate, talk to your friends, talk to your friend groups. So we actually take that same philosophy as part of the pillars of the foundation work and we train our employees.”
The Kering Foundation, established in 2008, has spent over a decade and a half combating violence against women and children. According to foundation sources, it has supported 1 million women survivors and 100 partner organizations worldwide. The foundation’s work addresses a global statistic: one in three women will experience violence during her lifetime, according to the World Health Organization.
Sexual and gender-based violence remains a significant issue within the fashion industry itself, particularly in supply chains where power imbalances leave workers vulnerable. While Kering is not currently implementing these trainings specifically for supply-chain workers, Daveu indicated that addressing violence in the company’s supply chain is part of a longer-term strategy, with the immediate focus on solidifying the educational ethos across the corporate workforce.
Sources
- Teen Vogue — reported on Kering executives’ visit to Project DOT, interviews with participating youth, and the company’s broader training strategy for its 44,000 employees
- New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault — described Project DOT’s 13-18 week curriculum and youth age range (10-24)
- Kering Foundation — confirmed establishment in 2008, support for 1 million women survivors and 100 partner organizations, and expansion into violence against children
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