Akira Minagawa, designer of mina perhonen, has been appointed ambassador for Pierre Hermé Paris's charity event, "Macaron Day," to be held on June 22nd. A limited-edition macaron gift, a collaboration between the two brands, is on sale until June 22nd. "Macaron Day," held annually in France for the past 10 years, began modestly in Pierre Hermé's own boutique as a way to raise funds for children battling serious illnesses. It has now grown into a large-scale charity event, with participation from members of the Relais Desserts association, a Western confectionery artisan association, and various other organizations. In Japan, the summer solstice is designated as "Macaron Day," and donations are donated to the Certified NPO National Network for Supporting Children with Serious Illnesses, to cover medical and welfare costs for children. Previous ambassadors have included the dress-up doll "Licca-chan," Ryosuke Irie, a backstroke medalist at the London Olympics, and Hello Kitty.
This year, with Akira Minagawa serving as ambassador, the brand is releasing a limited-edition macaron gift (2,500 yen) in packaging designed by Minä Perhonen. This gift box, filled with six colorful macarons—Vanille et Fraise, Mosaic, Infiniment Citron, Ispahan, Infiniment Pistache, and Plaisir Sucre—is limited in stock. (Currently only available at the Aoyama store, until June 22nd.)
In addition, on "Macaron Day," June 22nd, Pierre Hermé Paris Aoyama and all of its directly managed boutiques will be giving out free macarons.