Socio-political activism isn’t typically associated with the cosmetics business. But for UK-based natural cosmetics line Lush, the two concepts go hand-in-hand. Since its inception in 1995, Lush has committed its philosophy and its employees to social and political justice causes, such as animal-free cosmetics testing and environmental initiatives.
More recently, Lush has partnered with the UK organisation No One is Illegal (NOII), a radical group proposing the total abolition of immigration laws worldwide.
Through the partnership, Lush Cosmetics stores in 43 countries worldwide – including an outlet on Dublin’s Grafton Street – will distribute copies of a recent NOII publication to customers.
The four-page pseudo-newspaper features statistics about deported immigrants in the UK and urges readers to say ‘no’ to “insane and inhuman” immigration laws.
An accompanying page on the Lush website reads, “Although there are some complicated elements to this issue, at its heart this is a campaign about human rights and human dignity. It is about equality and justice.
“It calls into question policies rooted in racism, which punish people for being poor or uneducated, for being born in one place and not another, and for crimes which have been committed against them over centuries.”
The website also features a promotional video filmed in London, presenting a social experiment undertaken by Lush and NOII to engage passers by in issues of immigration and border controls. Ordinary streetgoers are prevented from crossing bridges or walking into shops by uniformed figures shouting through megaphones.
As the tone of the campaign demonstrates, its aim is not only to inform Lush customers about the company’s stance on immigration issues, but also to inspire action.
As a first step, Lush and NOII are encouraging patrons to sign a NOII-penned declaration denouncing immigration controls.
In accordance with the group’s professed aims, the declaration reads: “People should be free to live and work wherever they wish and enjoy all of the same rights as all other residents.”
