CFDA Member Marcia Patmos has had an exceptional year. Not only did she win the 2015 Women’s International Woolmark Prize in Beijing, she is also headed abroad this week to meet with retailers who will be carrying her International Woolmark Prize-winning collection.

Without a break to speak of, Patmos’s unbridled energy continued this October in time to raise awareness and funds for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer – by donating proceeds from sales on her site and a special soap she created for FTBC.

CFDA.com sat down with the designer to discuss her propensity for philanthropy. Visit here to shop the M.Patmos collection.

CFDA.com: Why is Fashion Targets Breast Cancer important to you?
Marcia Patmos: “Breast cancer touches everyone’s lives either directly or indirectly and so initiatives like Fashion Targets Breast Cancer are very important to support.”

CFDA.com: How do you see fashion and philanthropy intersecting?
M.P.: “Fashion and the glamour surrounding it have high visibility in the press and this can be used to support good causes and raise awareness for worthwhile projects.”

CFDA.com: What inspired the creation of the M. Patmos/Fashion Targets Breast Cancer soap?
M.P.: “I was brainstorming ideas with a friend who happened to make soaps, and I felt that a collaboration would be perfect. I wanted to do something more than give a percentage of my proceeds and thought a gift with purchase could be fun. The soap we made appeals to a wide audience; it’s fresh, all natural, with a mild scent. Plus, it’s preservative free!”

CFDA.com: How will you continue to create awareness for initiatives that are important to you?
M.P.: “I am always thinking of different, creative ways I can help support causes that are important for me.”