L’OCCITANE en Provence has named actress/writer/scholar Aria Mia Loberti as Global Brand Ambassador.
Loberti is an actress with limited sight who received global acclaim for her breakout role in the Netflix film All the Light We Cannot See, which was adapted from Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
Loberti’s appointment stemmed from a chance encounter with brand founder and L’OCCITANE Foundation Vice President Olivier Baussan, who recognised her strong desire to drive positive change for both people and planet.
Loberti is a passionate gender and disability rights spokesperson. She serves as a delegate to the United Nations and the UN International Human Rights Summit and is a representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women Youth Forum.
As the new face of L’OCCITANE en Provence, Loberti is set to inspire and propel the brand’s mission of ethical beauty, inclusivity and sustainable practices. She currently stars in the brand’s Shea campaign, which focuses on the nourishing and soothing properties of its Shea Butter Hand Cream.
For more than two decades, L’OCCITANE en Provence has supported international projects and initiatives to combat avoidable blindness through its Foundation. This is what particularly resonated with Loberti, who experiences limited sight herself.
Since 1997, the brand has committed to giving support to blind people and those with impaired vision by adding braille to much of its packaging. The brand continues to support programmes for the visually impaired with the goal of providing 20 million people access to eye care by 2025.
L’OCCITANE en Provence CEO Adrien Geiger commented: “I am very proud to have Aria as our global brand ambassador. This choice was obvious to both Aria and the company as we share the same values.”
L’OCCITANE en Provence has been supporting female producers of Shea butter in Burkina Faso, West Africa since the 1980s. The brand buys directly from their cooperatives and provides regular support in order to offer them economic security and independence.
The Shea butter used by L’OCCITANE en Provence is produced from trees in natural parklands free from chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides, thereby protecting and helping natural biodiversity to thrive.
In addition to buying directly from the female producers, L’OCCITANE en Provence helps them adopt traditional organic production methods and apply for Fair Trade certification. They are also provided with training and education by the L’OCCITANE Foundation. More than 40,000 women have benefitted from the brand’s Shea butter scheme.
Loberti visited Provence, the home of L’OCCITANE, to gain insight into the brand’s sustainable and ethical practices, including its efforts to help female farmers in Burkina Faso. She said: “This is an entirely female-run endeavour from farm to harvest, involving the processing of thousands of tons of Shea nuts into butter, which is used in a wide range of L’OCCITANE products.
“I am profoundly inspired by L’OCCITANE’s dedication to ethical and responsible farming and production, and its commitment to both environmental justice and workers’ rights.”
Loberti’s appointment comes as L’OCCITANE en Provence celebrates the 30th anniversary of its Shea Butter Hand Cream. The cream is vegan-friendly and silicone free and is made with 96% natural-origin ingredients including Omega 3 and Omega 6. It is housed in a 95% recycled aluminium bottle. According to the brand owner, one cream is sold every three seconds globally. ✈
