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Young New Zealander of the Year and mental health advocate Jazz Thornton joins Kate Spade New York as a founding member of their Social Impact Council alongside Born This Way Foundation’s president and co-founder Cynthia Germanotta and Taraji P. Henson, actress, filmmaker and founder of The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation.

The Social Impact Council will work with Kate Spade New York to address mental health stigma, provide access to resources and bring more attention to the vital role that mental health plays in the empowerment of women and girls globally. The company has a goal of reaching 100,000 women with direct access to mental health and empowerment tools by 2025.

Jazz is thrilled to be joining the work Kate Spade New York is committed to doing in the women empowerment and mental well-being space alongside other global changemakers. “As someone who struggled with her mental health for many years, I believe that it is so incredibly important to prioritize mental health support. Struggling with mental health issues can often leave you feeling deflated, and even worthless, so choosing to invest in not only mental health support but women’s empowerment, will change and save lives” said Jazz.

Kate Spade New York CEO and Brand President Liz Fraser shared “Women’s empowerment has been at the heart of our social impact efforts for over a decade, and has become a core pillar of the kate spade new york brand. The foundational role that mental health plays in a woman’s life and in women’s empowerment has only become more clear through our social impact work. Mental health has long been undervalued, under-acknowledged and underfunded. And yet it is of more concern today than ever.”

Founding council member Taraji P. Henderson echoed this saying “My biggest dream is to see girls and women free of shame, to openly talk about what’s hiding in the dark shadows (of their hearts and minds).” The Social Impact Council members are set to participate in a series of in-person and digital activations engaging the brand’s community and beyond throughout the year, alongside kate spade new york and its Foundation donating more than two million dollars annually to provide access to care and community resources to improve the mental health and empowerment of women in its communities around the world.

About Jazz Thornton: 

Having overcome childhood abuse and multiple suicide attempts, 26 year old Jazz Thornton has now dedicated her life to speaking hope and creating change in the area of mental health. Jazz co-founded Voices of Hope and her unique experience and practical message has gained worldwide recognition, being shared through media, international speaking engagements and through documentary feature film, The Girl on The Bridge. Jazz is also the award winning director of Jessica’s Tree, Young New Zealander of the Year 2021 and author of Stop Surviving Stop Fighting, My Journey Starts Here and upcoming release, Letters to You.

About Kate Spade:

Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always stood for colour, wit, optimism, and femininity. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand synonymous with joy, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, gifts, home decor and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view, and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles. Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry house of brands.

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