Our commitment to society

In 2008, HUGO BOSS initiated the HUGO BOSS Education Association at its own production site in Izmir, Turkey. Its goal is to create better educational opportunities for students from socially disadvantaged families in the region. The project currently supports 137 scholarship recipients in the academic year 2023-2024. In total, the Association has supported 1,518 scholarship recipients. In addition to financial support, the scholarship recipients also receive mentoring for career planning.

The "Doors Open" Initiative is another example of HUGO BOSS's social commitment in Izmir. The project has been carried out since 2009 in collaboration with the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR). Under this initiative, women in Izmir receive training conducted by HB trainers at the HUGO BOSS Technical Training Center. The training provides basic machine knowledge and practical training on the production lines. Around 2,750 women have already completed the training courses, and over 2,100 of them have subsequently been employed at HUGO BOSS Izmir.

As part of society, we want to show solidarity and support where urgent help is needed, especially during times of crisis. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we produced face masks. Another example is our support for a relief campaign by the German Red Cross during the flood disasters in Germany in the summer of 2021. Our involvement in emergency situations also included our cooperation with UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe, the German partner of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), through which we helped people with clothing donations. Providing immediate aid to people in need has been an important part of the work of the HUGO BOSS Foundation since its establishment, alongside environmental protection.

The UNICEF project "Living Schools" in Malawi, which was supported by HUGO BOSS until the establishment of the foundation, integrates innovative educational concepts such as e-learning and environmental topics into its work. Sustainability was promoted through various approaches in the selected schools. For example, solar energy was used as a power source, and a self-contained water system now provides clean drinking water and hygiene. At the same time, students were taught environmental awareness.

Until the establishment of the foundation, HUGO BOSS supported the UNICEF education initiative Let Us Learn in Bangladesh, among other projects. The goal of the initiative is to provide preschool and alternative education programs throughout the country to enable more children to access education. To make progress in this area, UNICEF works directly with the government to develop concepts for preschool, primary, and secondary education. More than 12,000 young people have already been reached.

Another project supported by donations from HUGO BOSS AG before the establishment of the HUGO BOSS Foundation was the UNICEF project "Schools for Africa". With this project, UNICEF gives girls and boys the opportunity to receive a good basic education in a child-friendly environment, thereby providing them with better prospects for the future. New classrooms were built, materials were procured, teachers were trained, and schools were equipped with sanitary facilities and drinking water connections. Since the start of the project, over 30 million children in 13 African countries have benefited from the initiative.

Art can also offer essential access to education. This is what the Filderstadt Art School and the Pestalozzi School in Filderstadt-Sielmingen in Germany are working towards in a joint project that HUGO BOSS supported until the establishment of the foundation. Children and young people from socially disadvantaged families have the opportunity to discover their creativity in workshops with professional instructors. This strengthens social competence and self-confidence, which are important skills for their further educational path.