FASHION

Twins for Peace

Meet the philanthropic brothers behind the Parisian sneaker line


Maxime and Alexandre Mussard
Photographer: Hugues Laurent

For Maxime and Alexandre Mussard, strikingly handsome 29-year-old twins who are seventh-generation descendants of the Hermès family, looks aren’t everything. “Being good is cool,” Maxime says. Twins for Peace, their Paris-based sneaker line, which will get its first New York store later this year, features a range of chic lace-ups in Italian-made velvet, silk, and suede, but its MO is about more than just aesthetics: For every sneaker sold, a pair of locally and sustainably produced shoes is given to a child in need. Additionally, a percentage of sales goes toward funding educational programs and providing medical supplies in developing countries. The project came about while the brothers were on vacation in Madagascar in 2009, playing soccer with barefoot locals. “One of the boys broke his toes,” Maxime recalls. “He was so grateful when I gave him a pair of soccer shoes that he offered me his English book in return.” In partnership with humanitarian organizations, the company chooses a different country to work in every year; for 2014 it’s Cameroon, where Twins for Peace has partnered with a group of local women to produce the Gacha, a beautifully hand-beaded style requiring 50 hours of workmanship. Given their DNA, the do-good siblings can’t help but be design-conscious. “I want people to buy the product because they think it’s elegant,” Maxime says. “The charity aspect is a bonus.” **

Photos: Twins for Peace

Maxime and Alexandre Mussard in their Paris boutique.

Photographer: Hugues Laurent

Photograph courtesy of Twins For Peace.

Photograph courtesy of Twins For Peace.

Photograph courtesy of Twins For Peace.

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