Mary

There was a point in her life where she had to struggle not to commit suicide. Somewhere inside, the will to live was strong and she's lived today not only to become a success in the music industry but a contributor to society. She has used her fame and wealth on a cause that is very near to her heart.

Mary J. Blige was around five years old when when her father started physically abusing her mother, only before abandoning their family. When she was growing up she saw so many women beaten by their men. She heard their screaming in her apartment building. "I would walk outside and I would see them being slapped so hard, it looked like their head was gonna come off.. and it wasn't just in poverty that I seen this abuse, it was everywhere."

So she set up a place for women to escape this kind of life in Yonkers, NY, where she is from and where she first saw this violence towards women. FFAWN stands for the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now and it stands to help all women gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their full potential. Through scholarships, grants, and programs that foster strong self esteem, career development and personal growth, FFAWN is intended to help woman become confident and successful. FFAWN will initially focus its efforts in Yonkers and surrounding communities in Westchester and then expand its scope to include the Greater New York area and, eventually, the entire country.

"As a child, I never saw a confident woman; I only saw women being abused," said Blige, a Yonkers native. "That's why I am here; that's why FFAWN exists. I want every girl and woman who walks through this door to know that she is loved, no matter who is telling her she isn't loved.

GUCCI is also a supporter of Blige's cause. Creative director of Gucci, Frida Gianni is on the board of the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, said: Mary is an inspiration for us all. She is a woman who really talks from her heart and from her own experiences, and she is a living example for all women in the world. And at the same time, Gucci is a very powerful brand that can communicatre in a very strong way. I thought that together, we could make something very impressive. I think that it's important to show that fashion isn't just about clothes and accessories- it's about being involved with initiative like this one and social responsibility.

Mary has helped design a watch which retails a little under 2 thousand bucks and for every watch that is sold, Gucci donates $100 to FFAWN. If you ask me, for the price of the watch, they could afford to donate a little more than just a hundred bucks, but what do I know?