Can Beauty Be A Force For Good?

Lily James’ voice breaks a little as she says: ‘It’s rare to stand in a place and feel the sheer weight of power and inspiration. But that’s exactly what happened.’ She is talking about a trip to Northern Kenya taken with charity Space for Giants in 2024, to witness their conservation work first-hand. Public speaking nerves are rare for A-list actors, but this is a topic very close to Lily’s heart, and she wants to do it justice. ‘It’s very profound, and I feel nervous talking about it because it means so much,’ she says. ‘On my first night, I watched the sun slip down behind the horizon as a herd of elephants marched across the land and I felt a kind of primal instinct and urge to want to protect the land.’ 

I am one of a handful of people, the only journalist at a table of conservationists and philanthropists, listening to Lily James’ moving speech, in a private Knightsbridge dining room at a dinner in aid of Space for Giants (SFG), an international conservation organisation working across Africa to protect and restore natural ecosystems and the large wild animals they support. The work of organisations like SFG is vital in protecting not just local African ecosystems (and the majestic elephant at the heart of them), but in the global conservation movement as a whole. 

Lily James (c) Claire Menary

Lily’s journey with Space for Giants began several years ago. ‘A few years back I travelled to Botswana and it was a truly life-changing trip,’ she tells me. ‘Shortly after, I learned about the incredible work Space for Giants is doing through my stylist, Rebecca Corbin Murray. From the moment I discovered their mission, I felt a deep and personal pull toward it. I’ve always had a longing to be more actively involved in protecting and preserving the wilderness, a cause that resonates. It is absolutely vital to do all we can to protect the last remaining wild landscapes for generations to come.’

So where does beauty come into all of this? Just as the voices (and beautiful faces) of inspirational global ambassadors like Lily James can move people to take action and, most importantly, donate, the partnership of supporting businesses makes evenings like this possible. Lily acknowledges this in her speech. ‘Thank you to Chantecaille, your deep commitment to nature and sustainability continues to inspire us.’ And this is the key to changemaking: a deep commitment, so as consumers we must vote with our wallets and invest in brands putting their money, or rather our money, where their mouths are. 

Rebecca Cox, writer of the words you’re reading (c) Claire Menary

Beauty For Good

In a world where luxury increasingly seems at odds with sustainability and positive progress, there are those who see the potential for the reverse. Chantecaille’s philanthropic journey began nearly two decades ago, when founder Sylvie Chantecaille launched the Les Papillons eyeshadow collection to support Monarch butterfly conservation. Since then, the brand has created 110 conservation-inspired products and supported 34 conservation groups worldwide. The brand’s Lip Veil and Luminescent Eye Shade collections have raised over $150,000 for Space for Giants, funding anti-poaching efforts, wildlife ranger training, and the construction of elephant-safe electric fences. In Kenya’s Laikipia region, the number of poached elephants has dropped by up to 97 percent since 2012, while human-wildlife conflict has been dramatically reduced in areas protected by SFG’s smart fences.

‘In a time of ecological crisis, fashion and beauty may seem unlikely allies but they are proving to be among the most powerful,’ Dr Max Graham, Founder & CEO, Space for Giants tells me. ‘When brands like Chantecaille embed nature into their identity, and when ambassadors like Lily James lend their voice to the wild, they offer something essential: hope. Not just hope that awareness will grow but that crucial funding and action will follow. Together, they show us that restoring Africa’s wild heart isn’t only a conservation goal. It’s a cultural shift. And it’s already underway.’

Dr Max Graham, Founder & CEO, Space for Giants, speaks at the dinner (c) Claire Menary

Conversations For Conservation

I ask Lily James whether she believes beauty can be a force for good. ‘When there’s transparency and open communication to ensure ethical practices and efforts towards sustainability within the luxury landscape then the beauty industry can be a shining example and encourage other businesses to do the same. It’s vital to raise awareness and provoke the right conversations.’

Though I sit (feeling slightly inadequate) in a room of impressive individuals making their entire life’s work about conservation, those using their faces and voices to raise awareness and philanthropists using their wealth for good, it’s evident that even the small actions move the needle in a world where positive change must come at every level. Choosing to buy a lipstick that directly contributes to a charity like Space For Giants, as opposed to one that doesn’t, is that tiny step in the right direction that it’s well worth taking. 

Lily James (c) Claire Menary

Find out more about Space for Giants work at spaceforgiants.org and shop Chantecaille’s Space for Giants products at chantecaille.co.uk.