Earlier this month I visited the Ports 1961 boutique in the Meatpacking District in NYC for a benefit on behalf of the Vivekananda Public School in Orissa, India. The event was organized by a friend of mine, Mr. Mickey of Paper magazine, who has been quite active in advocating for this worthy cause. Orissa is one of the poorest states of India, with only one in ten residents formally educated.

The school has served over 300 students so far, the majority of whom are from families who rely on subsistence farming and fall well below the official Indian poverty line. A school bus has recently been acquired to provide safe transportation for girls, who, because of the area's social constraints, are often left at home and ultimately left behind. No longer. The goal of the school, which was founded in collaboration of the Michael A. Daube Charitable Trust, is to provide equal opportunities for both the sexes. From the home page:

A person who is educated has a certain aura around him, of dignity and wisdom. If you are educated, you don't need to abide by the facts that the book recites, or follow Aristotle's philosophy. An educated person builds on the facts the book says and has his own philosophy. We at Vivekanand Public school try to inculcate and ingrain such qualities in our children.

A portion of the sales of Ports 1961's ready-to-wear collection during the month of December is going to build a library at Vivekananda. Citta -- which is derived from the Sanskrit word for "mind" -- handles the donations. I cannot for the life of me think of a better charity in which to donate if you are looking for one this holiday season.

[Image: Citta]