It’s round, light, and about the size of a two-euro coin. Its seventeen colors mirror those of the Agenda 2030 wheel. It’s called the crystalized SDG pin, and it’s the result of a collaboration between the Swarovski Foundation and the United Nations. More than just an accessory to wear, the pin was designed to stand for something—less a personal statement, more a reflection of the links between fields that rarely meet: fashion, design, and multilateral diplomacy.
It was unveiled in one of the upper-floor rooms of Swarovski’s Fifth Avenue flagship store, during a low-key, invite-only event. Tying the evening together was a speech by Brooke Shields—actress, writer, and activist—who has been involved with the project since its inception. Her role is both as ambassador and mentor for Creators for Our Future, a program developed with the UN Operational Activities Coordination Office. It offers young creative professionals, aged 21 to 30, the chance to work on sustainability-related topics. Twelve countries are represented. The tools may vary, but the concerns are shared. The crystalized SDG pin, inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, on display at Swarovski’s New York flagship.
The pin was created as a way to make the Agenda 2030 message more accessible to a broader audience. Each color corresponds to one of the UN’s seventeen goals, first adopted ten years ago: from eradicating poverty and ensuring gender equality to the right to education and environmental protection. The idea isn’t new—similar color schemes appear on pins, bracelets, and other awareness items—but this edition focuses on a more polished design. Produced in limited quantities, it will be sold exclusively in New York. Proceeds go to the Swarovski Foundation, which, among other initiatives, funds scholarships for participants in the program.
In her remarks, Shields also highlighted the role of storytelling in building awareness, especially how visible gestures and images can forge connections between people and topics that don’t usually intersect.“We live in a reality dominated by algorithms that privilege fear. Still, our task is to break that cycle and create space for positive stories, for solutions, for hope. It doesn’t matter whether the platform is TikTok or a podcast—what matters is how we communicate, and who we inspire.”
There were no grand declarations. Neither Shields nor the Swarovski team tried to present the launch as something larger than it was. Instead, the evening offered a subtle suggestion: there are different ways to talk about sustainability. Through materials, through design, through the everyday choices we make. Even through a pin.
